Crystal Flowers
by jaymeaaron
Summary: This is the story of how Harry and Hiro fell in love before the beginning of Withering Rose. SLASH. Crossover with Gravitation.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or Gravitation.

**Warnings: **This story contains SLASH (male/male relationships). If this offends or bothers anyone, do not read this story.

**Summary: **This is the story of how Harry and Hiro fell in love before the beginning of "Withering Rose".

**Crystal Flowers**

**Prologue**

Harry gasped at the sights around him as he surveyed all Tokyo had to offer him. Only in his dreams had he ever imagined he'd see such things. The massive buildings made of glass and steel captivated and awed him. He loved the old feeling the magical world had, but modern Tokyo was beautiful.

_"Your name?" _the hotel attendant requested, causing Harry to frown at his own lack of knowledge when it came to the Japanese language. "Your name?" she repeated but in fluent English.

"Sorry," the eighteen-year-old muttered, "It's under Potter."

The attendant smiled slightly and punched a few keys on the computer in front of her. "Ah, here it is. You're in room #534, Mr. Potter." she handed him his key and asked, "Do you require assistance with your luggage?"

Harry glanced down at his few bags and shook his head. "No, ma'am. I think I got it."

"Very well," Harry nodded once and turned, heading toward the elevator.

The enterior of the hotel was beautifully done in purple and gold tones. The carpeting was a deep purple with rings of gold along the edges and the walls were a lighter shade of brownish-gold.

Harry made it to his room with little trouble, if you counted him having a clutz attack and knocking an old lady over as "little trouble". The small man flopped onto the large bed that occupied the room and moaned in delight. It felt good to lay down after being stuck on that plane. The flight hadn't been too long, but the man beside him had been a walrus and smelled badly. Kicking off his shoes, he pulled his legs onto to bed and curled himself into a ball. He was exhausted and desperately needed sleep, but he knew he couldn't just yet. He needed to call NG and set up a meeting with Sakuma Ryuichi. He prefered to do it while he still had some fight left in him.

He pushed himself onto his elbows, grabbed the phone off the bedside table, and dialed the number he'd memorized before he left England.

_"NG Productions." _Harry cursed silently, forgetting that he knew only a few words in Japanese.

"English please." It sounded stupid, but he could try.

"Thank you for calling NG, how can I help you?"

Harry sighed in relief at his good luck and continued, "Yes, I need to see if I can set up a meeting with Sakuma Ryuichi."

"I'm sorry, sir, but you'd have to contact his manager and Mr. Seguchi for that."

'Damnit!' he thought. "Is there anyway you could see if he's available to even speak on the phone?" 'Damnit, Harry! He's a famous singer. He doesn't have time for a nobody like you!' his mind screamed at him.

"Sir, I can try but he's probably too busy. Please hold for a moment."

"Alright, and thank you."

Several minutes passed as the "hold" music rang in his ears, and he began to wonder if the lady was ever going to pick up the line again when the music ended. "This is Ryuichi." a male voice said in perfect English. The receptionist must've explained that Harry didn't Japanese.

"Hi, Mr. Sakuma. My name is Harry Potter and I've come from England to talk to you," he rushed out quickly so he didn't lose his nerve.

"Hmmm... All the way from England, you say? I don't know anyone from there." the man's voice sang out childishly. "But okay! You can come to the studio and talk to me."

'Huh?' Harry's mind questioned. Just like that? Was the guy an idiot?

"Hum... okay. When would you like me to come down?" Harry asked.

"Anytime you want. I'll even send a car for you."

Harry couldn't help but wonder about the man's sanity. How could he simply trust Harry? Still, he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Can you give me an hour?" Harry asked.

"Okay!"

Harry gave the man the name of his hotel and his room number before hanging up. Getting up from the bed, Harry grabbed a pair of slacks from his bag and a purple button-down shirt before heading to the bathroom to shower. All the while, he couldn't believe how easy things had gone in setting up the meeting.

'But what will he think of the news you have to tell him?' he wondered.

**A/N:** Alright, I know I've been gone for quite a while. There have been several serious changes in my life in the past few months. I'm just now getting settled again and have a little spare time to start writing again. Well, I hope you enjoyed the first part of Crystal Flowers. Until next we meet; cheers!


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or Gravitation.

**Warnings: **This story contains SLASH (male/male relationships). If this offends or bothers anyone, do not read this story.

**Summary: **This is the story of how Harry and Hiro fell in love before the beginning of "Withering Rose"

Crystal Flowers

Chapter One

Harry was nervous about the meeting. His heart felt as if it would leap from his body any moment, his palms were sweaty, and he had a headache. He just wanted to get this meeting over and done with so he could go home. As soon as he'd arrived at NG, the receptionist had taken his name and then lead him into a small conference room. She'd then left telling him to wait and that Ryuichi would be with him shortly. That was over half an hour ago, and he was getting restless.

Looking around the room, Harry noticed several plaques on the wall for a band named Nittle Grasper. The singer had brown hair, piercing blue eyes and was just a bit taller than himself. The other man had bleach blonde hair, aqua green eyes and a cold stare. The only female in the bad had obviously dyed purple hair but he couldn't tell her eye color from the picture. They was the number one band in all of Japan, it seemed.

The door opening snapped Harry from his observations as he directed his attention toward whomever was entering the room. Three people entered the room, and they were the same ones that he'd just seen from the picture on the wall.

"We're sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Potter." the blonde offered as he sat down in one of the chairs across from him. The other two remained silent but followed his lead and sat down. "Now, I was told you needed to speak with one of my friends and employees." Harry nodded at the man. "Care to explain why?" Harry knew it wasn't a question, but a polite command. Harry didn't like being told what to do.

Eyes sharpening into fine emerald gems, he directed his coldest look toward the blonde. "No, not unless your name is Sakuma Ryuichi."

The man didn't seem phased. "Now, Mr. Potter, whatever you have to tell Ryuichi, surely you can tell me."

"No."

This time the man's jaw did drop a little. Obviously, he wasn't use to being told no. "Mr. Potter, if you wish to speak with Ryuichi, then you don't have a choice."

Harry shrugged. "I don't particulary care whether you give me a choice or not. I can always just leave and forget why I came here."

"Stop, both of you!" the brunette sitting beside the blonde cut in. The man directed his gaze toward Harry, and Harry noticed how different his eyes seemed in person. Instead of cold and piercing, they were warm and full of life. He seemed like a completely different person. "I'm Ryuichi. What did you need to speak with me?"

"Does he need to be here?" he asked.

Ryuichi sighed but shook his head, much to his friend's dismay. "Sorry, Tohma, but you know I'll tell you if it's important."

Tohma didn't look happy in the slightest, but nodded and gave a firm, "Fine," before leaving the room.

"Now will you tell me why you came all the way from England to speak with me?" Ryuichi asked as soon as the door shut behind his friend.

Harry's glare softened finally and he slumped in his seat. Breathing out a frusturated sigh, he muttered softly, "I don't even know where to begin. I haven't even had time to process everything I've learned in the past fourty-eight hours."

"Huh?" Ryuichi cocked his head to the side with a confused look. "What are you talking about?"

The younger man shook his head to clear his thoughts. "I'm just not sure where to begin," he repeated.

"How about the beginning?" the purple-haired woman suggested, speaking up for the first time.

Harry huffed out a breath and leaned over his chair to pick his bag up off the floor. Unzipping the backpack, he pulled out a journal of sorts and a folder. He slid both across the table to the brunette. "Read everything in those first and then maybe I can explain better."

Ryuichi stared at the journal and the paper-filled folder in barely conceiled horror. It'd take forever to read all that. "Do I have to read it all?" he whined causing the woman to roll her eyes and Harry to snicker.

"No, just read to first three pages in the folder. The journal is yours to keep and read whenever you wish."

Ryuichi nodded and picked up the folder. Opening the folder, he quickly read through the pages Harry had told him to read. "Noriko, you'd better read this," he told his friend and all but threw the folder at her. The woman scanned the same pages Ryuichi read, her eyes widening as she looked at her friend and then toward Harry. "Do you think it's real?" he asked in a quivering voice.

"Yes, for two reasons. This seal here," she laid a paper onto the table and pointed toward a golden seal in the corner, "This seal can't be forged. It has too many protections engraved into it." Noriko grabbed Ryuichi's hand and rubbed his finger across the seal to prove her point. "And the second, he's very wealthy."

"How'd you know that?" Ryuichi asked curiously.

Noriko rolled her eyes at her sweet but totally clueless friend. "Because he included a copy of his bank statement so you didn't think he was trying to use you for your money."

"Oh." The singer cocked his head to the side. "He did?"

Fed up with her friend's idiocy, Noriko grabbed the sheet out of the folder and threw it at him. "There! Read it, you nitwit!"

Ryuichi pouted at her name calling, but did as instructed. Browsing the paper, his eyes widened and he looked up at Harry. "Damn, you are rich!" he squawked.

Harry shrugged and looked away. "Yeah, but I hate what I had to give up to have it."

"What to you mean?" the singer questioned.

"Nothing." Harry lied and pinned Ryuichi with an icy glare when he looked ready to argue.

Ryuichi shivered at the other man's cold eyes. They reminded him of Tohma's eyes. "So, I guess you want to get to know me?" he changed the subject, knowing Harry wouldn't tell him what he meant by his comment.

Harry's eyes went from cold to surprised at Ryuichi's words. "Y-You mean you want to know m-me?" he stuttered in shock.

Ryuichi gave him an odd look. "Of course I do. I don't want you to leave after coming all this way to meet me."

"R-Really?"

"Where are you staying now?" Ryuichi plowed ahead, completely ignoring Harry's question. "Cause if you're in a hotel, that just won't do. I know! You can stay at my place!"

Harry couldn't believe what he'd just heard. The man actually wanted to know him and even wanted him to stay at his place. It was unreal.

"What do you think? Sound good to you?"

"Huh?" Harry blinked back to reality, realizing he hadn't heard a word Ryuichi had said. "I'm sorry, what?"

Ryuichi frowned at the other man. "I asked if you'd like to stay at my place."

"Why?" Harry asked, his brows burrowing in confusion at Ryuichi.

The singer smiled widely at Harry. "Because, according to these documents, you're my cousin. How else am I supposed to get to know you if you're not around." he answered.

"Um... I kind of thought I'd just stay at my hotel in the off chance that you wanted me to stay in Japan," Harry mumbled quietly, his cheeks burning when his cousin gave him a horrified look.

"No, no, no! That won't do at all!" Ryuichi ranted, shaking his head wildly. "You're coming to my place, and that's final!"

Harry shot a helpless look at Noriko, who looked away, and resigned himself to his fate with a heavy sigh. "Do I really have a choice?"

"Nope!"

Harry hadn't had the chance to argue his way out of staying at Ryuichi's home. So here he was, laying on his bed and staring blankly at the ceiling in his room. He honestly hadn't expected Ryuichi to believe him, even though he had proof in the form of birth records for his dad and Ryuichi's dad. He knew when he had stumbled across them a month ago, he hadn't been that surprised that he had family out there. Dumbledore had been good at keeping his past and life as secret as he could from him. Still, his grandfather having an affair with Ryuichi's grandmother hadn't been what he expected. That's right, his paternal grandfather had an affair with a Japanese woman he'd met while studying in Japan. She'd gotten pregnant and his grandfather left her. It was sad, really. He had let her put his name on the birth certificate but refused to have anything to do with her or the child. Ryuichi's dad was his own dad's half-brother.

Harry rolled onto his side and stared at the wall. Everything that happened in the last twenty-four hours seemed more like a fantasy than reality. Flying to Japan on a whim, meeting his cousin, and Ryuichi accepting him with no questions asked was almost too much. He wasn't use to his family wanting him around or wanting to know him.

'But what will he think when he finds out what you are?' he couldn't help but wonder.

Harry shook his head, banishing his nasty thoughts. He'd just take it one day at a time. That's all he really could do. If Ryuichi freaked when he learned that he was a wizard, then he would deal with it then. For now, he'd enjoy getting to know his cousin. Speaking of which, he hadn't seen Ryuichi since the older man had practically shoved him into his room and ordered him to get some rest. Harry wondered where he'd gotten off to.

Pushing himself off the bed, Harry went in search of his cousin.

Harry searched nearly the entire house before he found Ryuichi in the kitchen. The smaller man shook his head at the sight that greeted him. 'Well, I know Ryuichi can't cook' he thought to himself.

"Ryuichi, what are you doing?" he asked, coughing on a bit a smoke that filled the air.

Ryuichi jumped and the sudden noise and twisted around, blushing at the mess he'd made. "Ah! Harry, I was just trying to make you some dinner!" he whined.

Harry couldn't help but laugh at his cousin's childishness. "Honestly," he rolled his eyes, "If you knew you couldn't cook, then you should've ordered out."

Ryuichi pouted. "But... but... I wanted to do something nice for you."

"But what if you'd burned down your house?" Harry reasoned, making his cousin stop pouting.

"Good point. Burgers alright with you?"

**A/N:** Hey! I'm finished with Chapter One. I hope you enjoyed it. I know the story may seemed rushed, but I just want Harry and Ryuichi settled as quickly as possible. Then again, I believe that Ryuichi would make Harry feel as welcome as he could. His childishness would probably help in that area. Harry will meet Hiro and the members of Bad Luck in the next chapter. Suguru and Harry's friendship will develop before Harry's relationship with Hiro. I hope you'll remain patient with me and continue reviewing. Well, until next we meet; cheers!


	3. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or Gravitation.

**Warnings: **This story contains SLASH (male/male relationships). If this offends or bothers anyone, do not read this story.

**Summary: **This is the story of how Harry and Hiro fell in love before the beginning of "Withering Rose"

Crystal Flowers

Chapter Two

Harry glared at anything and anyone who crossed his path. He wasn't a happy camper, and it was all Ryuichi's fault for waking him up the way he had this morning. Ever since he'd moved in with his cousin, Ryuichi had taken to waking him in the most annoying ways he could manage. This morning he'd barged into Harry's room and vaulted himself onto his back. Ryuichi would, of course, giggle madly and vault before Harry had the chance to retaliate. Harry had become close with his cousin in the past few weeks, but he could do without his rude awakenings.

"Good morning, Potter-san," the receptionist greeted cheerfully as he walked through the door to NG. Harry simply glared the woman into submission.

He was, however, proud of the fact that he'd learned most of the simple Japanese phrases, such as "good morning", with the help of his cousin. His Japanese wasn't good by any means, but he could at least order food when they went out. He was extremely grateful Ryuichi spoke fluent English. Otherwise, getting to know his cousin would be a difficult task.

"You know, Harry, you should be a bit nicer," Ryuichi commented as he entered the building behind his cousin. Harry turned sharply on his heel, glaring muderously at the singer. Ryuichi threw his hands up in surrender. "I apologized for jumping on you this morning!" he defended.

Harry's glare intensified. "But you shouldn't have done it in the first place!" he snapped.

"Well, if you didn't always oversleep, I wouldn't have to wake you up like that," the singer reasoned.

Harry's brow twitched in annoyance. Instead of starting a fight, though, he swallowed his smart retort and stormed away. The singer watched his cousin stomp away, wondering what had gotten him so riled up. He knew that he annoyed Harry with the way he woke him up in the mornings, but Harry had never gotten this pissed off over it. He'd usually grumble for an hour or so and then be right as rain. If he didn't know for a fact that Harry was a man, he'd think he was PMSing.

Quickly apologizing to the receptionist for his cousin's behavior, Ryuichi dashed off behind his cousin.

* * *

Noriko glanced up when the studio's door flung open and slammed against the wall. The keyboardist cringed at the noise and bit back her oncoming rant when she noticed who'd walked through the door, a very pissed off Harry. Noriko sighed aloud, wondering what her friend had done to upset his cousin this time. It was an everyday occurance, it seemed. Ryuichi did something that angered the younger man, Harry took his anger out on everyone but his beloved cousin, and everyone suffered because of the nitwit singer named Ryuichi.

Seeing the young man looking in her direction, she knew she had to perform some major damage control.

'Damn you, Ryuichi!' her mind screamed.

"What did he do this time?" she asked as soon as Harry got within hearing distance.

Harry's eyes burned with anger and his eyebrow twitched. "The fucking idiot jumped on my back to wake me up!" he screamed, his hands tightening into fists. "And then, he acts as if a simple 'I'm sorry' will make it all better!" The dark haired teen paced the length of the studio, his voice rising in pitch the more he ranted. "Why can't he just act his age for once? He's thirty-fucking-four years old!"

Noriko sighed quietly and shook her head helplessly at Harry. "You think I don't know this?" another sigh "He's always acted like a child, Harry."

"But..." the teen shot the woman a helpless look, "I don't know if I can handle him much longer," he admitted quietly and sunk into a nearby chair.

"Oh, Harry." The purple haired woman was instantly at Harry's side. "I know Ryu can be a lot to take at times, but he really does care for you."

Harry glanced at the woman from underneath his fringe, before turning away and pulling his legs to his chest. "I know he does, Noriko." the teen rested his head against his knees as he continued in a soft voice. "But it's hard. I've never really had a family, and poof, now I do. It's just a lot to get use to in just a couple of weeks."

Noriko wasn't a very effectionate person, but she desperately wanted to hug the young man beside her. But she remembered what Ryuichi had told her last week about Harry freaking out when he had touched him. She didn't know why, but Harry feared human touch. Ryuichi knew, she was sure, but wasn't telling anyone why his cousin hated anyone touching him. The only person that could touch him was Ryuichi, and that was only if Harry knew about it before hand. That's probably why he'd gotten so upset over how Ryuichi woke him this morning.

'Ryu, you really are an idiot at times,' she mentally cursed her friend. Directing her attention back toward the boy beside her, her heart sunk at the sight of him. She could see his shoulders shaking as he tried hard to fight back his tears. In the past few weeks, she'd learned that Harry was a very emotional person. He went from one extreme to the other at the drop of a hat. 'Much like two people I know,' she thought, 'but music cheers both of them up.' She wondered if the same would work for Harry. Couldn't hurt to try, right?

"Hey, Harry," the teen glanced up at her, "Do you like music?" Harry seemed confused at first, but eventually nodded. "Do you know how to play an instrument?"

"Um..." Harry's face scrunched up in thought, "I can play the piano. Why?"

Noriko rolled her eyes at the youth. He was just as clueless as his cousin at times. "Cause I want you to play something for me, silly." Harry looked ready to argue with her. "Please? It'd mean so much to me." she added some fake tears for added effect, which broke Harry's resolve. He blamed Hermione and Ginny for that weakness. They used tears to get everything they wanted from him and Ron.

"Fine," he grumbled, but rose from his seat and walked toward Noriko's keyboard. "Does it matter what I play?" he asked as he stood in front of the instrument. Noriko shook her head and Harry let out a relieved breath. He didn't know any happy songs, so she'd have to deal with something depressing. "I'll warn you that this isn't gonna be cheerful."

Noriko looked at him with a confused expression, but nodded. "Alright." She was use to depressing songs, thanks to Ryuichi and his lyrics. She and Tohma managed to make the songs sound happy and upbeat when they added the music, but if anyone actually listened to the words of some of Nittle Grasper's songs, they'd know how depressing some of them really were.

Harry ignored the woman as he began playing and a haunting melody filled the room. He completely shocked Noriko, as she hadn't expected him to sing too.

_I've been looking in the mirror for so long.  
That I've come to believe my soul's on the other side.  
All the little pieces falling, shatter.  
Shards of me,  
Too sharp to put back together.  
Too small to matter,  
But big enough to cut me into so many little pieces.  
If I try to touch him,  
And I bleed,  
I bleed,  
And I breathe,  
I breathe no more._

By the end of the first verse, Noriko was speechless. She had no clue that Harry had a voice like that. It was soft, yet forceful as he sang the pained words. She held no doubts that the words were for him and his life. She felt honored that he was sharing this beautiful but shockingly sorrowful song with her.

Take a breath and I try to draw from my spirits well.  
Yet again you refuse to drink like a stubborn child.  
Lie to me,  
Convince me that I've been sick forever.  
And all of this,  
Will make sense when I get better.  
But I know the difference,  
Between myself and my reflection.  
I just can't help but to wonder,  
Which of us do you love.  
So I bleed,  
I bleed,  
And I breathe,  
I breathe no...  
Bleed,  
I bleed,  
And I breathe,  
I breathe,  
I breathe-  
I breathe no more. 

As the singing stopped, Noriko didn't know what to say. All she could do was sit, gaping at the young man before her. Blinking, she realized that she'd been crying. 'Wow,' she thought. Nothing had ever moved her to tears, before now. "That boy has talent," she whispered to no one.

* * *

Ryuichi and Tohma had just reached the studio doors when the singing had begun, so they waited outside. They hadn't wanted to interrupt Harry's song. By the end of the song, Ryuichi was in tears, seemingly understanding what his cousin meant by the words he'd sung. Tohma, on the other hand, couldn't help but gape like a fish at the closed door. Not even Ryuichi had a voice like that. Ryuichi had a beautiful voice, but Harry's enraptured those that heard it and didn't let go. Even now, Tohma could hear Harry's every word ringing in his head. 'I got to sign that talent!'

"Ryuichi?" His friend tore his eyes away from the door towards him. "Did you know your cousin had that kind of talent?"

The singer shook his head. "I had no clue, Tohma. He doesn't even sing in the shower at home."

* * *

**A/N:** I'm sorry that Harry didn't meet Bad Luck during this chapter, but I got carried away with Tohma finding out about Harry's talent. Sorry! I promise he'll meet them in the next chapter, though. This chapter is a bit shorter than the previous one, but I didn't feel as if I could add too much more to it. Also, I was tired and stressed out. I'll give a description of Harry in the next chapter when Hiro sees him for the first time. Well, until next we meet; cheers! 


	4. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or Gravitation.

**Warnings: **This story contains SLASH (male/male relationships). If this offends or bothers anyone, do not read this story.

**Summary: **This is the story of how Harry and Hiro fell in love before the beginning of "Withering Rose"

Crystal Flowers

Chapter Three

Several days after he'd sang for Noriko, Harry couldn't get Tohma to leave him alone. Everywhere he turned, the man was there trying to talk to him. The weird part was that Ryuichi was no help when he'd mentioned it to him. His cousin would smile widely and bounce away, leaving him even more befuddled. Even stranger was the fact that he had some tall, blonde, gun-crazed American stalking him now. When he asked Noriko about the man, she laughed and shook her head in sympathy before walking away.

'Everyone has gone crazy,' his mind had told him. Knowing who his cousin was and the affect he had on people, that probably wasn't far off from the truth. Ever since he'd played that song for Noriko, everyone seemed to have lost their minds.

So wrapped up in his thoughts, Harry didn't notice the young man just a few feet in front of him and smacked straight into him, knocking himself and the boy to the floor.

"Shit! I'm so sorry!" Harry yelped, as he stumbled back to his feet and offered his hand to help the boy stand. Pulling the boy to his feet, he saw that he was about his age with brown hair that held a greenish tint and had deep, chocolate eyes. He stood a good three or four inches taller than Harry. It kind of sucked that he was eighteen and barely stood 5' tall.

The boy must've known English, because he answered in the same. "That's alright. I wasn't looking where I was going either." he smiled at Harry. "I'm Suguru Fujisaki." he introduced himself politely. Harry studied the boy before him and swore he looked like someone he already knew. The hair, eyes, and general attitude were different, but he could've sworn that Tohma had cloned himself. Suguru must've known what Harry was thinking, because he sighed heavily and said in a hollow tone, "Tohma is my cousin." He loved his cousin dearly, but he hated when people compared him to the older man. Harry, however, shocked him with his next statement.

"I'm sorry, but I hate that man." The blunt and honest statement made Suguru's mouth drop open and gape at the dark-haired teen before laughter bubbled out of his throat.

Harry stared at Suguru as if he'd lost his mind. He hadn't said anything funny, had he? "Did I say something funny?"

Suguru shook his head as he tried to regain control of himself, and said between laughs, "No... just honest."

"What?" Harry cocked his head to the side, his expression confused as he tried to understand.

Finally regaining his composure, Suguru explained. "It's not that it was funny. I've just never met anyone as bluntly honest as you are." His lips quirked. "Not many people here would right out say they hated my cousin."

"Oh." Harry ducked his head and his cheeks reddened when he realized that he'd insulted Suguru's cousin. "M'sorry," he murmured softly.

Suguru shook his head at the boy. "No, it's alright. I like that you're honest. Not many people are. At least I know you won't compare me to him," he finished almost too quietly for Harry to hear and averted his eyes.

Harry chose to ignore his comment though. Instead, he extended his hand. "I'm Harry Potter. Ryuichi Sakuma is my older cousin," he added cheerfully, hoping to make the other boy feel better.

Brown eyes snapped toward Harry. Suguru studied him for several minutes, taking in his appearance. Harry wasn't tall by any means. Suguru guessed he was barely 5' and had shoulder length, dark curls falling all over the place. It was Harry's eyes that struck him to the core. Bright and unnaturally green, yet they seemed so sad. It was obvious to Suguru, a master of wearing a facade of happy smiles, that Harry's smile was as fake and his own were most of the time. Still, Suguru couldn't help but trust him.

Finally accepting the offered hand, he smiled a real smile. "Nice to meet you, Harry."

"You too, Suguru." Harry shocked the other boy by smiling a real smile too.

* * *

Shuichi and Hiro looked up when Fujisaki strolled through the door with another boy, and both of their jaws dropped when they realized he was laughing happily with the other boy. This couldn't be their keyboardist. No, Fujisaki was too uptight to joke with anyone. Shuichi and Hiro shared a surprised look as the boys completely ignored them and headed toward Fujisaki's keyboard. 

"Now that's just wrong."Shuichi pouted and crossed his arms over his chest.

Hiro rolled his eyes at his friend while he studied the boy with Fujisaki. He'd seen the boy a few times walking around the building. He was tiny compared to Hiro. Hell, he even made Shuichi and Suguru look tall. Hiro spared a glance at his friend and noticed him standing up from his seat. Quickly, he reached out and snagged his shoulder to stop him from being nosy.

"Shu, just leave 'em alone," he told his friend. Shuichi huffed but sat back down.

Several minutes passed before Shuichi finally asked what Hiro had been thinking as well. "Hiro, who's the kid?"

Hiro looked at his friend and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know." Glancing back toward the kid, he added, "But I've seen him around the studio for several weeks now."

"Really? Why haven't I seen him?" Shuichi wondered aloud, completely missing the long, slow look that screamed "because you're a moron" his friend gave him.

Hiro shook his head at his friend, wondering if he ever noticed anyone other than Yuki. The chances were good that he didn't. "Shu," blue-violet eyes turned to look at him, "how could you miss him? He's been here for the past month." Shuichi's mouth dropped open at his statement and Hiro sighed, knowing he was right about his friend not noticing anyone but his lover. Hiro opened his mouth to say more, but the studio door swung open and crashed against the wall.

Ryuichi bounced into the room searching for his stray cousin. His eyes scanned the room and widened when he noticed who Harry was here with. 'Fujisaki Suguru! He's more uptight than Harry,' the singer thought. Shaking his head at his thoughts, he headed toward his cousin.

"Harry! I've been looking for you all morning!" the singer screamed at the younger man.

Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes and turned slowly to face his cousin. "Ryuichi, I'm fine. I bumped into Suguru and we started talking is all." he looked annoyed.

Ryuichi scowled at his cousin's tone. "I don't care. You could've told me where you was."

"I'm not five! I can look after myself!" the younger man snapped, his eyes flashing dangerously. He hated it when people treated him as if he were a child.

"Sorry, but I just found you. I don't want to lose you." Ryuichi whined childishly to cover his own insecuritity, but Harry saw passed the facade. Instantly, Harry's anger faded.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Ryuichi, but I wasn't that far." he said softly and looked away.

Harry was unprepared for when his cousin launched himself at him and tackled him to the floor. "It's alright, Harry! You're okay and that's all that matters!" the child in adult skin screamed.

Harry fidgeted and tried pushing the bigger man away but failed miserably. Resigned, Harry allowed the singer to hug him. "Ryuichi, you really should act your age." he mumbled.

Suguru snorted when he heard that, and replied, "Like that'll ever happen. You really don't too much about your cousin, do you?"

Harry shot him a green-eyed glare for his comment. "Duh! We just met a few weeks ago."

"Oh," the keyboardist laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "I forgot about that."

"And here I thought that Tohma's cousin would be smart." Harry bit back and shook his head in mock sorrow. "I guess I was wrong on that one."

"Hey!" Suguru tried to cut in, but Harry ignored him.

"Tohma would be really saddened to know that his cousin didn't inherit his brains. Although, you do have better hair than his bottle-blonde." Harry's lips twitched when Suguru's face colored red with anger and embarrassment.

"You're really an ass, Harry." he grumbled, folding his arms over his chest.

Harry smiled widely at him from his place on the floor. "But you know you love me anyway."

"But I just met you. How could I possibly love you already?" the keyboardist shot back, his own grin breaking through.

Harry rolled his eyes at Suguru and directed his attention back to his cousin, who was currently sitting on him and playing with Kumagoro. "Why was you looking for me, Ryuichi?"

"Huh?" the singer snapped out of his candy-filled daydream and looked down at his cousin. "Oh, Tohma was looking for you. He said something like 'I'll sign him to my label yet' and then left to search for you."

Harry groaned in frusturation. He'd already turned the man down twice and he couldn't take the hint that Harry wanted nothing to do with singing for the NG label.

"Why does Tohma want to sign you to the NG label?" Suguru asked confused.

Harry was about to tell him to shove off when Ryuichi opened his big fat mouth. "Cause Harry sang a song the other day, and it moved everyone to tears! Tohma wants to sign him cause he's got lots and lots of talent!" he finished with a happy nod. Harry groaned loudly and smacked his head against the floor in annoyance.

"Did you have to tell him that, Ryuichi?" he whined. "I already told Tohma that I wanted nothing to do with him or this damn label."

"Why?" his newfound friend questioned curiously.

Harry sighed and looked up at the keyboardist as he spoke. "Because my music is just for MY entertainment."

"Oh."

Across the room, Hiro and Shuichi were confused. Neither of them really understood what was happening, as neither of them spoke English fluently. They understood a bit, but not much. The only thing they understood was that the new boy was Ryuichi's cousin. Harry, the name Ryuichi had called him, was apparently friends with their keyboardist. Shuichi pouted at the fact he didn't know something about his god and Hiro just wished he knew English better so he could understand everything that was said.

Shaking his head, he looked at his friend and said, "I have a feeling that things are going to get intersting around here."

Shuichi could only nod in agreement. Yes, all the weird things happened at NG.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey, guys! Sorry it's taken so long to update, but my internet has been acting up lately. It'll let me sign into messenger and stuff but won't let me browse the net. I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but I couldn't think of anything to add to it, besides more dialogue. Well, Harry did meet Bad Luck, just not in the way you all probably guessed he would. I warned you that Harry's friendship with Suguru would happen first before his romantic relationship with Hiro. Yes, Harry is on to the fact that Tohma wants to sign him, but he's weirded out by the fact that Tohma is almost stalking him. I know it seems weird that Tohma would stalk him, but Tohma really wants him signed to his label. Hehehe... I hope you enjoyed your first glimpse of K in this chapter. I can totally see K stalking Harry and creeping him out, too. Ah, well, I hope you enjoyed. Well, until next we meet; cheers!

Oh! I forgot to mention the song and artist in the last chapter! The song I used is called 'Breathe No More' and it's by Evanescence. Sorry for not pointing that out in the last chapter.


	5. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or Gravitation.

**Warnings: **This story contains SLASH (male/male relationships). If this offends or bothers anyone, do not read this story.

**Summary: **This is the story of how Harry and Hiro fell in love before the beginning of "Withering Rose"

Crystal Flowers

Chapter Four

The receptionist screamed as the door slammed into the wall and the glass inside the door shattered sending shards flying. The shocked and scared woman fearfully glanced over the top of her desk and knew instantly that her boss was a dead man. She had read the paper this morning, so she knew why the young man standing just outside the door was so angry. She could still see the large, bold print letters that had caught her attention this morning detailing how Sakuma-san and Potter-san were cousins. Everyone at NG knew that Seguchi-san had leaked the private information to the press.

The woman watched the young man carefully step onto the shattered glass at his feet and move inside the building. His green eyes narrowing, he stormed passed her toward the elevator. Yes, she was glad she wasn't Seguchi-san. All the money in the world wasn't payment enough to deal with the angry cousin of Sakuma Ryuichi.

* * *

Harry felt the twitch in his eye returning as he walked through the halls of NG. He thought he'd finally gotten through to the bottle-blonde, but he guessed he hadn't after all. That man had no right to tell the press that he was Ryuichi's cousin. He could deny it all the wanted to, but Harry was anything but stupid. Tohma always had a reason for doing something and had a hand in everything. This was payback for Harry turning down his offer of a recording contract. Harry knew that and it made him wonder what else Tohma would try before he finally snapped and signed the damn contract?

'Maybe I should just sign the damn thing, but with my own conditions,' he thought.

That wasn't a bad idea, actually. He could make sure that Tohma let him sing the music he wanted to sing. He hated the thought of anyone wanting to change his music. His songs were dark and depressing for a reason. They were his personal feelings added to music. If Tohma couldn't handle that, then he could go fuck himself with a screwdriver.

Harry stopped just outside Tohma's office and took several deep breaths to calm himself. That article had worked him up so much this morning that he hadn't even thought about keeping his magic a secret and had accidentally blew something up in the kitchen with Ryuichi there. So, after he dealt with Tohma, he needed to go home and explain certain things to his cousin. He really wasn't looking forward to that conversation.

After composing himself, Harry pushed the door open with force, banging it against the wall. The blonde looked up from a stack of papers on his desk with a shocked look before schooling his features. Harry stomped into the office and wasted no time zeroing in on his target.

"Do you have a death wish?" he hissed angrily.

"Whatever do you mean, Mr. Potter?" the blonde replied casually. The young man was scary when he was angry, but Tohma never backed down from anyone. "Well, if you're not going to explain yourself, then please remove yourself from my office." he continued when Harry hadn't said anything, and went back to signing the documents on his desk.

Eyes narrowed and nostrils flaring, Harry reached out and, in one sweeping motion, threw the man's papers from his desk. "What the fuck is your problem? I told you repeatedly that I wanted nothing to do with NG, so you try and blackmail me?" he shouted, slamming his hands down on the desk. "Do you hate me that much?"

Tohma's eyes widened a fraction at his words, but quickly returned to normal. He didn't hate Ryuichi's cousin in the least. Harry was a strong-willed, head-strong young man. He respected that. "No, Harry," he began softly, "I don't hate you. And I, honestly, have no clue why you're here destroying my property."

"So you didn't tell the press about this?" he sneered and reached into his back pocket, pulling this morning's paper out and tossed it on the desk in front of Tohma. The blonde president snatched the paper up and ripped it open, his eyes narrowing and his lips pressing into a firm line the more he read. From his reaction, Harry was beginning to doubt he had anything to do with the article. He seemed just as shocked as Harry and Ryuichi had been this morning.

Tohma finally folded the paper neatly and placed it in front of him, his hands linked over the offending article, his eyes unguarded as he began speaking. "Ryuichi is my best friend, and has been for a long time. I made a promise to him that I'd keep your relationship a secret until you both felt ready to face the press." the blonde's eyes hardened as he looked up, "I never break my word."

Harry gaped at the man, his mouth doing a fine impression of a goldfish. He knew the man was speaking the truth and he felt horrible for suspecting him. Hanging his head, he whispered, "I'm sorry," but Tohma simply waved off his apology.

"It isn't as if I've given you reason to trust me." The blonde stood and moved to stand by the large window directly behind his desk. "I believe this may be partly my fault, even if I didn't actively hand out the information." Harry's head snapped up, his eyes boring into the back of the man's head. One minute he claimed he had nothing to do with it and now he was. Well, which one was it? "I recruited a man to help convince you to sign on with NG," he answered as if sensing Harry's thoughts. "K is a good manager and friend, but he can take things to the extreme at times." he turned around to face the dark-haired teen. "I hold no doubt that he leaked the information in an effort to blackmail you into signing."

Harry was at a loss. For once, he had no clue what to say or do. But Tohma was the president of NG, couldn't he contact the paper and retract the story as a mistake? "Mr. Seguchi, can't you just retract the story?" he asked.

Tohma sighed and shook his head. "I could, but the damage is already done. People are going to people what they want. The only option is to confront the press on your own terms." Sadly, Tohma was right, as Harry knew from experience. People were idiots that believed everything they read in the newspaper or a magazine. So, the truth about him being Ryuichi's cousin was already out there. "Harry, I believe now would be a good time for you to sign on with NG." What! Harry's eyes narrowed at the man. So, he had been in on it after all. "No, Harry, I had nothing to do with the press leak." he reassured. "But I could better control what the press prints if you was of my employees." he reasoned.

The teen stood rooted to the floor. Though he didn't want to admit it, Tohma made a good argument. Tohma had to power to deny people anything if they didn't do what he asked. If Harry signed the recording contract then Tohma could put his spin on the news. Harry let his head fall as he felt the tears welling in his eyes. Why? Why couldn't he live his life the way he wanted? He just wanted to be Harry. Not the boy-who-lived, the savior of the light, or a singer for NG Productions. Harry couldn't stop the tears that spilled out of his ears onto his cheeks. Truthfully, he didn't want to. He was sick and tired of holding it all in. Sliding to the floor, Harry didn't even try to stop the tears. He didn't care what Tohma thought of him.

Tohma turned away from the scene, he had to. He couldn't bare seeing the young man in this state. Ever since he met Harry all those weeks ago, he had respected him as the only person, beside his wife and brother-in-law, who stood up to him. But seeing him like this brought to mind what the Private Investigator had told him about Harry's home life. It made him wonder how Harry turned out so strong and innocent after what his family put him though. You didn't neglect, abuse, or rape someone intrusted into your care. If he knew beyond a shadow of doubt that Harry would never find out, he would've had his aunt and uncle arrested and put through the wringer. Yes, Tohma had checked out Harry's past when he noticed how fearful he became when someone brushed against him or raised their voice at him. He'd only ever seen Eiri in this state, and had that been years ago.

Tohma blinked and realized his eyes were moist. 'Damn,' he thought, 'he's already capturing my heart.' It was true, too. Harry had a way of ensnaring people and not letting them go. The broken young man feared people but wanted nothing more than someone to love him. 'Maybe I should have Mika take him out some time?' He was certain that Mika would love Harry once they met. Mika, like Tohma, rarely met anyone that wouldn't cower to their dominating personalities.

Turning to face to young man, Tohma began speaking softly, "Harry, I know you don't want to become a singer, but you have the talent and drive to become great."

Harry looked up from his place on the floor, his head cocked to one side in confusion. "What?"

Tohma let an easy going smile fall onto his face. "Like your cousin, you have a lot of talent. I'll back off if you want me to, but I wish you'd reconsider my proposition." He had every intention of dropping the matter if Harry told him to. You could only push someone so far before they snapped, and he didn't relish the thought of Harry losing it, especially if the anger was towards him.

Harry, on the other hand, was in shock. Ryuichi, Noriko, and Suguru had all told him that Tohma wanted him because he had talent, but he hadn't believed them. But hearing the words from Tohma proved them right. Tohma had said the words with such conviction that Harry actually believed him. Harry still wasn't big on the singing bit and recording songs that were written about the pain inside of him, but just knowing that someone believed in him made him feel good.

Still, the only answer he could give was, "I'll seriously consider it."

"That's all I'm asking, Harry."

* * *

Ryuichi paced around the living room, waiting for his cousin to return from wherever he ran off to. 'The brat probably thinks I'm mad at him,' he grumbled. He knew he should be a little upset over the fact that Harry kept something big from him, but he just couldn't. He wasn't an idiot, like so many believed him to be. He had seen some of the odd items his cousin kept in his room. Come on, his pictures moved! That was when he noticed that Harry was hiding something. Then this morning, Harry had blown up a vase without even touching it. Okay, if that wasn't a huge hint, then what was?

The singer stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the front door open and close. He knew it was Harry. He heard Harry's shoes smack against the tiled floor by the door when he slipped them off. Ryuichi quickly moved to the sofa and dropped onto it, pretending he'd been sitting there the whole time and not worried out of his mind about his cousin. His cousin rounded the corner into the living room and stopped short, his green eyes locking onto Ryuichi's blue ones, and Ryuichi noticed instantly that Harry had been crying.

Harry finally turned his head, breaking eyes contact, and said, "I spoke with Tohma and he had nothing to do with the article."

'Ah, he must've gotten into a fight with Tohma,' Ryuichi concluded mentally. "So, does he know who leaked the information?"

"A guy named K," he replied with a nod.

Ryuichi didn't comment, as he already knew. Tohma had called him the moment Harry left his office and told him all about Harry's little breakdown. That's why he decided on confronting his cousin today. Harry was hurting and he wanted to help. Finally, he pinned his cousin with a sharp look and said, "Sit down, Harry. We need to talk."

Harry gulped, knowing he couldn't get out of this one. "Talk about what?" he tried in vain.

Ryuichi's glare moved up a notch. "Don't treat me as if I'm stupid, Harry," he snapped in an icy tone. "I know there's something odd about you and you're going to tell me what it is." he ordered.

Harry felt the dread pooling in the pit of his stomach. How was he going to explain magic to Ryuichi? Sighing, he knew there was no easy way to tell him. 'Might as well jump in both feet first,' he thought sarcastically. "Well, it's sort of like this..."

Sipping his tea slowly, Ryuichi sat at the table trying to understand everything his cousin had admitted to him. Oh, he didn't doubt Harry, but he just couldn't see how someone's family could treat them so badly. If Harry hadn't made him promise not to hunt them down, he would've flown to England and hurt them. Harry hadn't gone into detail about the abuse, but he could guess what had happened. And magic... he hadnt expected that one. It made sense though; moving pictures, blowing up a vase, and never hearing his cousin's scream in the middle of night when he had nightmares.

He did feel as if he understood his cousin better now. 'I wonder how long he's been holding all that inside?' he wondered. After Harry confessed everything about his past, he had fallen asleep with his head in Ryuichi's lap, his fingers carding through Harry's hair. He had been so emotionally drained and tired. Ryuichi hadn't wanted to move him, but he had to get away. The more he looked at his younger cousin, the angrier he became at his so-called family.

Sighing, Ryuichi pushed himself from the table and poured his tea down the drain. He needed to get his cousin into bed and then get some sleep himself. Walking from the kitchen to the living room, Ryuichi stopped and took the chance to really look at his cousin. For once, he seemed at peace, no nightmares plaguing him. Maybe telling someone is what he needed? Ryuichi couldn't stop the smile that broke out on his face when Harry rolled over facing him with Kumagoro clutched protectively to his chest. Knowing Harry would wake up if he tried to move him, Ryuichi decided to let him stay on the sofa for the night. If Harry got angry with him, then he'd deal with it in the morning.

* * *

**A/N:** Hey, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. This one is a bit angsty, but at least Ryuichi learned about Harry's past. I'll warn all of you now that I'm moving at the end of the week, so I probably won't update again for another couple of weeks. I'm moving because of my job, so I'll have to get resettled and everything. Well, until next we meet; cheers!


	6. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or Gravitation.

**Warnings: **This story contains SLASH (male/male relationships). If this offends or bothers anyone, do not read this story.

**Summary: **This is the story of how Harry and Hiro fell in love before the beginning of "Withering Rose"

Crystal Flowers

Chapter Five

Harry had given in and signed the contract, if only to keep the press off his back about keeping his existence a secret. Tohma had been right, of course. When he and Ryuichi confronted the press and gave them what they wanted, they started leaving them alone. The truth was always less exciting that the truth, from his experience anyway.

Ryuichi had been thrilled when he heard the news; that Harry was now a singer like he was. Noriko had given him a knowing look. She realized he didn't want to sing for the public. Tohma had agreed to all of his demands though, except one. K was to be his manager. Harry had argued that K already had a band to manage, but Tohma would hear none of it. K wasn't that bad of a man, but Harry decided the blonde American needed serious therapy. Something was seriously wrong with you if you thought a gun to the side of someone's head motivated them into working harder. He'd yet to try it on Harry. Harry had news for him though, a gun didn't scare him. The fear of death meant nothing to someone who longed for it more times than you could count.

"Harry, are you alright?" Harry blinked back to reality to see his cousin standing before him. He hadn't realized he'd been in la-la land.

"Yeah, Ryu, I'm fine." he assured his cousin, who smiled widely and ruffled his hair. Harry didn't flinch like he normally did, but he still didn't like it. "Do you have to do that?" he whined, glaring cutely at the older man.

Ryuichi giggled and nodded before bouncing across the room to bug Noriko. Harry rolled his eyes at his cousin's childishness. "Ryuichi, act your age!" he yelled to the man, who simply responded with a raspberry. Harry sighed, knowing it was a lost cause. He wondered if the man even knew how to act his age. Somehow, he doubted it.

Harry looked up when the door opened and Tohma entered the room. The dark-haired boy sighed heavily, knowing he couldn't put the recording off any longer. Tohma wanted him to have a single recorded for release in the next couple of days. The blonde caught his eye and started in his direction.

"You excited about today's recording?" he inquired lightly as soon as he reached the young man's side.

Harry shot him a look that promised pain. "Yes, I'm beside myself with excitement." The sarcasm in his voice was evident.

"But I thought you signed the contract because you wanted to," Tohma replied, completely ignoring the new singer's tone. "You could've refused."

Harry snorted humorlessly in response to his boss' words. "And have the press breathing down my neck?" he shot back and shook his head. "I'm not that stupid, Blondie."

Tohma's eye twitched and he seriously considered which method of murder worked better: strangling or beating him with a blunt object? Ryuichi's cousin loved pushing his buttons, and he did it so well. "Mr. Potter," he started coldly, "I've repeatedly asked you not to call me by that name."

Harry shrugged in response. "Like I care, Blondie." The younger man smirked at the look of outrage his new boss wore. "If I have to deal with you being my boss, then you have to deal with your new nickname."

Tohma opened his mouth to argue but stopped short, his mouth snapping shut with an audible click. 'Fuck!' he swore. Harry had a point. Still, Tohma didn't admit defeat. "But as your boss, I order you to refrain from using that name in my presence."

Harry simply raised an eyebrow in his direction. "And why should I do what you order me to do? You can't fire me, cause that's what I want."

'Damn it! I can't really touch him.' It was true. Harry hadn't signed on with NG of his own free will, but to keep the press off his back and creating rumors about him. If Tohma fired him then he'd be giving the man exactly what he wanted. 'Goddamn brat!' he grumbled. He hadn't had this much trouble since Shindo and Nakano joined NG. Staring at the green-eyed man before him, Tohma pinched his lips tightly and twisted around, walking away. He'd never admit defeat, but that didn't mean he couldn't retreat on occasion.

Harry watched the blonde as he pouted, though Tohma would never admit cause pouting was beneath him, and gave himself a mental pat on the back. It wasn't everyday you left the president of Japan's number one record label speechless. A smile blossomed on Harry's face. Yes, this was turning out to be a good day. Directing his gaze toward his cousin in Noriko, he seriously began doubting his earlier thought when his cousin tripped over a music stand and fell face first into the wall. 'Oh, well, at least he didn't fall out the window.'

* * *

Hours later, Harry decided that he hated both Tohma and K with a passion. The single he'd recorded today was of good quality, but Tohma and K thought otherwise. 'Stupid, bloody perfectionists!' Either they hadn't liked the way he sung a certain verse or they thought he hadn't hit a note correctly. 'Honestly, who's the one singing?' he had felt like screaming at them, but his cousin's hand on his shoulder silenced him every time. 'I swear, they're going to wake up tomorrow with blue hair,' he threatened to his cousin, who laughed. The overgrown child was no help at times.

Harry stomped passed studio two, unaware of the people inside watching him with interest.

Suguru shook his head in sympathy at the dark cloud hanging over his friend's head. He truly felt sorry for whomever pissed off the small singer. In the weeks since he'd run into Harry, he'd learned that Harry was a very emotional person. His emotions went from one extreme to the other at the drop of a hat and anyone caught in the storm felt his wrath. Shifting his brown eyes to his band mates, he almost laughed at the glazed look in Hiro's eyes as he watched the younger man. Suguru knew that look well. It was the same one he wore whenever Ryuichi was near. His redheaded band mate had fallen and fallen hard for the angsty new singer. Little did Hiro know, Harry didn't understand Japanese that well. It was sort of sad since Hiro didn't understand English that well either. Suguru would kill to be a fly on the wall when his band mate actually worked up the nerve to ask out Ryuichi's baby cousin. If Ryuichi didn't flay him alive then Tohma would do it for him.

That was another thing that confused Suguru. His cousin had initially not cared for Harry, but he'd changed drastically over the past couple of weeks. His attitude had become more protective. 'Maybe that private investigator said something that shook him?' Suguru thought after he noticed his cousin's behavior. The only person he was that protective over was Yuki Eiri, and that was because of the writer's past. Suguru was not an idiot, he knew something was odd. He wouldn't pry though. Harry was his first true friend and he wouldn't chance their friendship over possibly painful secrets. Besides, everyone has their secrets.

Breaking his eyes away from his band mates, he glanced at the clock and saw that it was nearly five o'clock. 'Almost time to go home,' he mentally cheered. He loved the band and everything, but he loved hanging out with Harry, too. Almost every night, Harry had something planned for them. Last night they'd ordered pizza and rented movies to watch at Harry and Ryuichi's house. Eating pizza from the box in the middle of the floor and laughing at the crappy dubbing in the movies had been fun. 'An old kung-fu movie isn't any good unless you can laugh at the dubbing,' Harry had claimed. Suguru had rolled his eyes at his friend's obsession with cheesy kung-fu movies. Still, anything was better than sitting at home all alone, even if he had to suffer through those god awful movies that his friend loved.

"Hey, Fujisaki?" Shuichi's voice cut into his thoughts.

Looking toward his band mate, he raised a delicate eyebrow in his direction. "Yes?"

"You got another date with Potter-san tonight?" the singer asked boldly, not noticing the jealous glare his best friend threw the keyboardists way.

Suguru, on the other hand, noticed the look and chose to ignore it. "Harry-kun and I aren't dating, Shindo-san." the keyboardist answered with an eye roll. "We're friends and nothing more."

"Suuuure you are!" the pinkette teased in a sing-song voice. "I bet he's your honey!"

Suguru felt the twitch in his eye returning. Pity; he'd only just gotten rid of it. Pursing his lips together, he gritted between his teeth, "Shindo-san, for the last time, Harry-kun and I are friends." he threw in a glare for good measure, before adding, "Besides, I'm not his type."

"And what is his type?" Hiro asked, speaking for the first time.

Suguru smirked at the open opportunity. "Well, Nakano-san, he likes redheads." Suguru cackled on the inside at the shocked look on his band mate's face. Harry had admitted to him a few days ago that he thought Nakano was "yummy".

"Redheads?" the guitarist repeated with interest, his lips curving upward. "Any particular type of redhead?"

Suguru fought hard to keep his laughter in. This was too much fun. Still, he cocked his head to the side with a thoughtful expression on his face. "I remember him saying something about long hair." he mused quietly, almost as if talking to himself.

"Hmm..." the redhead hummed in thought. That was some interesting news he just heard. So, the object of his affections liked redheads with long hair. That was almost too perfect. There had to be something Fujisaki wasn't telling him. Fujisaki and Harry were close, so he was sure the keyboardist knew more than he let on, but he wouldn't press him yet.

Suguru knew he shouldn't be telling Harry's secrets, but he had noticed how sad Harry seemed most of the time. He wanted his friend to have a little happiness, and he knew his friend would never admit to Nakano about how he felt. Now, they only had to overcome the language barrier and live happily ever after. 'Yeah, right.' he thought. It'd take a miracle to bring those two together.

* * *

That evening, Harry and Suguru were hanging out in his room, watching a video, and eating popcorn. Suguru sat with his back against Harry's bed and his legs stretched out in front of him, while Harry laid on his stomach facing the television. This was the first time Harry had seen this video. It was one of Bad Luck's concerts from back when they first started. The band had only been around a couple years, so it wasn't that old, but Harry found it hilarious to see Suguru in leather pants. It just didn't fit the image he had for his friend.

"Honestly," the brown-eyed boy huffed, "What do you think you're gonna wear when you have a concert?"

Harry's laughs stilled instantly, his eyes widening as he stared at his friend. "W-What?"

"You're more than likely wearing leather when you have a concert, Harry." Suguru smiled smugly at his friend's fearful expression. "Besides, maybe Nakano will finally ask you out when he sees you in them." Suguru laughed at the glare sent his way.

"I've told you repeatedly that I don't want to go out with anyone." the singer growled and threw a handful of popcorn at Suguru.

Suguru returned the favor. "But you blush oh so cutely whenever I mention his name," he teased.

"I do not!" Harry tried in vain to cover the redness in his cheeks with his hands.

Before Suguru had the chance to tease him more, a knock sounded at the bedroom door. Harry, thankful for the distraction, got up off the floor and went to open the door. Pulling the door open, he was surprised and annoyed at who he saw on the other side. Seeing the man all day at work was bad enough.

"What do you want, Blondie?" he snipped scathingly, his eyes narrowed into slits.

Tohma's eye twitched at the name, but he said nothing. "Now, Mr. Potter, is it so wrong of me to check on the welfare of my employees?" he asked. Harry shot him a look that clearly said 'are you stupid or brain damaged' and slammed the door in his face. "I hold your career in my hands, Mr. Potter." the president threatened from the other side of the door.

Harry snorted at the threat. "Go ahead and fire me, that's what I want." the singer shouted back and shook his head. "You aren't too good at thinking up new threats, are you?"

Tohma stared stupidly at the door, absently wishing his best friend's cousin wasn't so damn stubborn and annoying. Ryuichi was bad enough, but add someone with Shindo's emotional range and his brother-in-law's past... It wasn't pretty. Where Eiri had become a rude, ruthless bastard, Harry had locked all of the damage deep inside and showed the world a mask of his choosing. It wasn't healthy, in Tohma's opinion. Sighing, Tohma shoved his hat back on and headed for the stairs. He had only wanted to see how his cousin and Harry got along firsthand, but Harry would have none of it. Harry annoyed him to no end, but he was starting to like the brat's snappy attitude. It made work more interesting, that's for sure. And Tohma and Noriko got a break from having to scold Ryuichi, since Harry done it so well and so often.

Suguru stared at Harry as if he'd lost his mind when the singer laid back down on the floor. No one in their right mind said that to his cousin and got away with it. "Harry, you do realize he can make your life a living hell, right?" he asked carefully to his friend.

The singer shrugged, his eyes never leaving the tv screen. "He can't do any worse than anyone else has." Suguru almost hadn't heard the soft-spoken comment. Little did he know, that was just the first of many out of place remarks he'd hear from his friend over the next year.

**A/N:** Sorry this chapter is so short, but I wanted to update before I moved. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. If you don't remember the name of Harry's single, then try looking in Withering Rose for the answer. I'll eventually tell you, but I wanted to see if anyone could remember the name of the song. I'm not positive what the next chapter will contain, but I have several different ideas rolling around in my head. I hope you all enjoyed. Well, until next we meet; cheers!


	7. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or Gravitation.

**Warnings: **This story contains SLASH (male/male relationships). If this offends or bothers anyone, do not read this story.

**Summary: **This is the story of how Harry and Hiro fell in love before the beginning of "Withering Rose"

**Crystal Flowers**

**Chapter Six**

Harry stared at the man sitting across from him with a look that promised a painful death. How dare that bottle-blonde sit there and tell him that he's adding him to a band! Harry had signed on as a solo artist, not to be in some band! Tohma had really stepped in it this time.

"No," he refused stubbornly, his arms crossed over his chest.

The blonde-haired man steeped his fingers together under his chin and met the singer's glare with equal force. "I don't believe I gave you a choice, Mr. Potter."

"I don't care if you did or not, Blondie! I'm not joining a fucking band!"

Tohma's face hardened at the small singer's words. He really hated the nickname Ryuichi's cousin had given him. "Mr. Potter, I will ask you," he stressed the word 'asked', letting Harry know that it was an order and not a request, "once again to stop referring to me by that name."

Harry gave him the finger.

Tohma had had enough and slammed his hands hard against his desk as he quickly stood up from his chair. "I've had quite enough of your emo-boy-piss-everyone-off attitude!" he snapped. "You're not the only person in this world who has problems," he hissed at the combative teen, who stared at the man with wide eyes for his outburst. However, Harry's shock didn't last long.

Eyes frosting over, he had done had enough of the blonde's power trips. "I don't know who you think you are, but you can't and won't throw your power around me and get your way." The blonde opened his mouth to argue with the singer, but Harry cut him off before he could utter a single word. "Yes, you are my cousin's best friend. Yes, you are my boss. Yes, you are my best friend's cousin. But you are not God, nor are you in as much control of the world as you think." His voice lowered to a deadly whisper as he continued. "There's too much in this world that you know absolutely nothing about."

Tohma stared at the singer with slightly widened eyes, completely surprised by the singer's calm, dangerous attitude. Only Mika and Eiri had ever spoken to him in such a way.

Slowly composing himself, Tohma's face hardened into his usual cold mask. "Get out of my office, Mr. Potter." His voice was low but firm.

The singer did as instructed, pivoted on his heel, and headed toward the door. Looking back after he reached the door, he couldn't help but think he had crossed the line this time. After all Tohma had done for him, no matter how shady he had gone about it, Harry had pretty much slapped him in the face. Tohma was not that bad of a guy, really. He was family to both his cousin and his best friend and he had bent over backwards to help Harry, especially with his Japanese lessons. Oh, he did not understand the language fluently, but he knew enough to get by now.

Knowing he screwed up, Harry whispered a soft and quick, "I'm sorry," as he exited the room, softly shutting the wooden door behind him.

Tohma sat at his desk in a state of shock at the young man's whispered apology. He knew Harry made it a point to never apologize for anything. When the blonde-haired president had asked why, the singer had responded that apologies were empty unless the person was truly regretful. Harry claimed that he never regretted things he did. Until now, apparently.

* * *

Suguru watched worriedly as his friend dragged himself into the studio, everything about his demeanor screaming that he was upset. Honestly, he was not sure what to do for the singer. The only person he knew that got emotional as much as Harry was Shindo, and Nakano dealt with him. Shooting a meaningful look at his red-haired band mate, Suguru silently begged the guitarist for help. The red-haired man must have understood, because he nodded and rose from his seat and started in the singer's direction.

The keyboardist wondered if Nakano had gotten any further in his English studies. The moment he confessed that Harry didn't know Japanese and only spoke English, both Shindo and Nakano had been learning English. Honestly, the idiots should have realized that when his friend stared blankly at them whenever they spoke to him. Then again, he always said those two shared a brain. Nakano had, luckily enough, inherited the genius portion of it. Still, he lacked common sense at times.

'No,' he scolded himself, 'Most people just don't realize that there are other languages spoken besides one's one.' It was true. If you lived in Japan, people assumed you knew the language. It was the same where Harry was from, too. 'Thank heavens for strict, overbearing parents that made me learn several languages,' he found himself thinking.

"Are you alright?" Harry's head snapped up at the thick accent, his eyes narrowing at the unfamiliar voice. Hiro automatically threw his hands up in defense. "I'm sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

Harry sighed, almost wishing Suguru hadn't spilled his secret. He almost liked people thinking he was just stuck-up and cold. "No, it's alright." he waved off the older man's apology and waved his hand at the empty seat next to him. "You might as well sit down."

The red head nodded and smiled gratefully, glad that the singer wasn't sending him away. It was well known around NG that Ryuichi's cousin didn't associate with anyone but Ryuichi, Suguru, Noriko and Tohma. He had even seen the singer with Mika, Tohma's wife, on occasion. They acted as if they were close, but he learned long ago that you couldn't judge a book by its cover.

"Did Suguru send you to deal with me?" Harry asked as soon as the guitarist's bottom hit the chair.

Hiro snorted and nodded his head. "How did you know?"

"Because he hates dealing with emotional people," the singer answered, pushing a stray curl out of his eyes. "He's a good friend, but he doesn't know how to handle people when they're being emotional."

"Oh."

Hiro took a moment to study the younger man. He knew from what Fujisaki had told him that Harry was three years younger than him and Shuichi. He was Fujisaki's age, which made him eighteen. The singer barely stood five foot tall, had a thin and lithe body, emerald green eyes, a head of dark, messy curls and an odd scar on his forehead. He asked Fujisaki about it, and the keyboardist nearly ripped his head off for asking. Sakuma-san had been a bit less volatile when he asked him. His cousin's parents were murdered when Harry was young. The murderer gave him that scar. That's all the older singer would tell him.

Harry's thoughts were along the same but very different lines as Hiro's were. He couldn't keep his eyes off the guitarist's sapphire blue eyes or his deep auburn hair that hung passed his shoulders in waves. Hiro was quite a bit taller than he was. The man towered a good ten inches over him. In a way, it made him feel a bit insecure. He hated being so tiny. 'But malnutrition will do that to you,' he grumbled.

"So," Harry blinked and blushed when he realized he'd been staring. Hiro smirked, glad that he caught the singer checking him out. "Will you reconsider going out with me?" the red head asked.

Harry frowned at the man. Ever since Hiro began learning English, he'd taken to asking Harry out on dates. Harry had told him time and time again that he didn't want to date anyone, but he just didn't seem to get it. 'Damn you, Suguru!" his mind screamed. That damn, backstabbing jerk must've blabbed that he had a crush on Hiro. He felt touched that Hiro was learning English just to communicate with him, but that didn't mean he had to date the man.

"I'm sorry, but no." he finally answered and turned his head toward the wall.

"Why?" the red head demanded stubbornly.

Harry honestly did not have a reason. He simply didn't want any becoming involved in his hectic and secretive life. Ryuichi had found out his secrets because of an accident.

"Why?" Hiro repeated, snapping the singer from his thoughts.

Turning around to face the guitarist, Harry's eyes softened at the confusion he saw in his eyes. "Because I'm just not ready to date again," admitted softly. "The last time I dated, things didn't end well." Okay, so it was a white lie, but Hiro had no need to know that Cedric died because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"So you won't date anyone because you're afraid things will end badly?" Hiro asked in a low tone. Harry nodded slowly, confused. "You're an idiot."

"What?!" the singer asked stupidly before his lips dropped into a scowl. "What gives you the right to call me an idiot?" he snapped, glaring at the taller man.

Instead of answering the question, Hiro got up and began walking away, but Harry followed quickly behind him.

"Don't think you can insult me and then just walk away, you fucking asshole!" he screamed, causing Shuichi and Suguru to stop their work and take notice of the two.

Hiro stopped and turned to face the singer. "I didn't insult you, midget. I simply told the truth."

"M-Midget! How dare you!"

"Yes, how dare I." Hiro mocked. "I'm terribly sorry for insulting your below average, midget size."

Hiro never saw it coming, until the slap connected with the side of his face. "Don't EVER insult my intelligence or my height again," Harry hissed dangerously. "If you suffered the things I have, then you would understand."

Hiro stood holding his cheek, his shocked eyes trained on the shorter man. Shuichi had punched him in the face before, but somehow, Harry's slap hurt a lot more. It was more than the insult against his height, Hiro was sure. Hiro could almost physically feel the pain radiating from the singer. 'I really fucked up this time,' he thought. 'Good job, Hiro! What a way to make someone date you.'

From the side, Shuichi and Suguru stood in shock at what had just happened. Suguru knew his friend was volatile and emotional, but he'd never seen him act this way before now. He didn't understand why Harry had gone off like that either. He teased Harry about his height all the time. Ryuichi did as well. There was something he was missing, and he didn't like it. And what had Harry meant when he said Nakano had insulted his intelligence? He hadn't heard anything of the sort. Still, Harry wouldn't have resorted to physical violence unless he'd been provoked. Suguru didn't know the reason, but he knew his friend hated violence in any manner.

Shuichi, on the other hand, thought he'd just met his new best friend. Only he'd ever smacked Hiro like that and gotten away with it. Harry was one hell of a firecracker, that was for sure. He liked him. Shuichi thought Harry and Hiro would make a good couple, if they'd both get over themselves and go on a date. He didn't know why, but Harry constantly turned his friend down whenever he asked him out. And Hiro pushed too hard whenever there was something he wanted. He needed to let up a bit and let things happen on their own. Like when he met Eiri three years ago. Their relationship had been extremely rocky at first, but they made it through. Eiri had tried pushing him away so many times, but the writer soon learned that he wasn't going anywhere. Still, even the antisocial singer had to admit that learning English just to communicate with him was sweet.

Another thing concerning Harry that awed Shuichi was that he was more talented than his older cousin, and that was saying something. Ryuichi was his god, but Harry had ten times more talent. His voice was enchanting and dark but soft and light all at once. He made you feel every emotion he felt whenever he performed. It'd only been a few months since 'Missing' hit the music front, and the fans couldn't get enough of it.

_Even though I'm the sacrifice,_

_You won't try for me, not now._

_Though I'd die to know you love me,_

_I'm all alone._

_Isn't someone missing me?_

That song had been the reason Shuichi began learning English better. He wanted to know what the singer meant. He knew he drove Eiri insane by playing the single over and over, but he loved the song. Harry's voice entrapped him and made him listen to the song. He couldn't wait to hear what songs Harry had on his first official album. No matter what the singer recorded, Shuichi knew he'd buy it. 'Hehehe... or just have Eiri get me a free copy from Tohma,' he giggled to himself.

Redirecting his attention toward his best friend and Harry, Shuichi wondered how Hiro would get himself out of this new mess. It even pissed him off when Hiro insulted his height or intelligence. He could see Harry's mouth moving, but he couldn't hear the words coming out of his mouth. They seemed very harsh, because Hiro cringed several times and eventually hung his head before the singer stormed out of the room. Shuichi sighed heavily. 'Time for damage control.' Honestly, and people thought he was clueless at times!

"Hiro, you really fucked up this time," he said as soon as he reached his friend's side.

Hiro shot him a look at that. "You're not helping, Shu."

The pink-haired singer shrugged innocently. "Then you shouldn't have insulted him."

"That's the thing, though. I didn't mean to."

"Well, what did you say?" the singer asked.

"I asked him why he wouldn't go out with me and he said that things didn't work out with his last boyfriend. So, I said he was an idiot," Hiro explained and began to worry at the look Shuichi gave him.

"Hiro, for being a genius, you sure are an idiot at times." The singer sighed and shook his head. "Maybe he's still not over him?" he tried.

Hiro's face fell at his friend's words. "You know, I didn't even think of that," he moaned. "God, I'm such an ass!"

Shuichi reached up and patted his friend's shoulder in sympathy. "It's alright, Hiro. I'm sure he'll calm down and give you chance to explain yourself."

"You think so?" Hiro asked hopefully.

**A/N: **Hey, guys! I'm sorry that this chapter is short, but I'm working two full-time jobs, so I barely have time to write anymore. I'm hoping to have the next chapter done in a couple of weeks, but no promises. For all of you that read the sequel, you'll notice that I changed a couple of things. I never specified in the sequel how Harry and Hiro overcame their language barrier, so you can't flame me for that one. Harry did seem a bit violent in this chapter, but bite me! It's my story, so I don't care! I need to make something perfectly clear to all of you. I write to relieve stress and for fun. Whenever writing becomes more stressful than my everyday life, then that's the day I stop writing for good. That's a warning to all of you that e-mail me to ask when I'm updating a certain story or to bitch that I haven't updated a certain story yet. I write as time allows. Like I stated earlier, I work two full-time jobs and I do have a life outside of writing. I have friends and family that need my attention, as well. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Until next we meet; cheers!


	8. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or Gravitation.

**Warnings: **This story contains SLASH (male/male relationships). If this offends or bothers anyone, do not read this story.

**Summary: **This is the story of how Harry and Hiro fell in love before the beginning of "Withering Rose"

**Crystal Flowers**

**Chapter Seven**

Jodi, Joni, and Jeanne Harper were worse than he could've every imagined. The sisters were demons hiding in human flesh... but they were damn good band mates.

Harry had given in and let Tohma create a band for him. His new band mates were triplets from England and all had looks similar to his. They were average height for women, making them around 5'5, and all had green eyes and black hair. They could easily pass as his sisters. Well, that is if he had sisters. Eklectic Desire was the name of their band. He liked it. It suited their little rag-tag group.

As for his single, the band had opted not to record it and continue with original music of their own. Harry had also taken on a stage name. He didn't like the fact that a multitude of people knew his real name. So, he became Evan Angel. His demons said he sounded like a fallen angel when he sang, so it kind of stuck after a few weeks of hearing it all the time. He used Evan in memory of his mother. After all, he wouldn't be here today if it hadn't been for her sacrifice. He owed much to her.

So, here they were, stuck in the recording studio for the second week in a row. K really was a slave driver. Tohma said he wanted a album recorded in two weeks, and K was making it happen. Harry already had enough songs written, so that wasn't a problem. Between himself and the Harper sisters, they decided that he would write all their songs.

Another good thing about his demons was that they kept Hiro away from him. Harry was still angry at the redhead for what he said. How dare he belittle his relationship with Cedric? He didn't know the man! 'How could he know?' he reminded himself constantly. It was true. Only Ryuichi knew of his past. He really shouldn't have been so hard on the guitarist for speaking his mind, but his words had cut deep.

'I really am an idiot,' Harry thought as he leaned against the wall in the studio. He was patiently awaiting K's arrival so they could start recording for the day. Glancing down at his watch, he groaned in annoyance when he realized the blonde-haired manager was half and hour late. It wasn't fair that K demanded their presence on time everyday but he arrived late as much as he wanted.

"What's on your mind?" Jodi asked, pulling up some wall beside her band mate.

Harry glanced up at the girl, annoyed at his lack of height, and shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing, really. Just bitching about K being late." he told her.

The dark-haired girl growled in agreement. She and her sisters had threatened the man with pain if he was late again. Apparently, he hadn't believed them. "He is so dead when he gets here."

Harry's body shuddered at the maniacal gleam that shone in her eyes. "Jodi, you're kind of freaking me out."

"Then I haven't lost my touch." she smiled happily, causing Harry to whimper a loud and the keyboardist to laugh. "Don't worry, Harry-bear, we won't hurt you... much."

The singer pinned her with a withering look. "I've asked you repeatedly not to call me that."

"I know."

"Then why do you keep calling me that blasted name?" the singer nearly yelled in frustration.

"Because I know how much you hate it, Harry-bear." was her cheeky response.

Harry huffed in annoyance and crossed his arms over his chest in a pout. He really hated his band mates at times. Even if they were musical geniuses, they were bitches.

Seeing that her band mate was getting upset, Jodi quickly changed the subject. As much fun as she had annoying the small singer, she valued her life. Harry was scary when he was angry. "So, why don't you like that guy from Bad Luck?" she asked, and almost wished he hadn't at the look her band mate threw her way.

"Because he's an asshole!" he snapped.

Jodi raised an eyebrow at the Gothic singer, almost as if saying 'tell me something new'. "Honey, all men are assholes. Yourself not included," she added when Harry began pouting. "But seriously, why don't you like him? I know you're not the most sociable person, but you're just downright cold to him."

"I am not," he argued weakly, but he knew he couldn't lie. Sighing, he explained, "He insulted my intelligence and my height."

"Harry," the woman sighed heavily, "I'm not sure what was said, but I doubt he meant it."

"What?"

Green eyes rolled at her clueless but adorable band mate. "Harry? You know he has the hots for you, right? He wouldn't intentionally insult or hurt you."

"W-What?" the singer stuttered in shock. Hiro had asked him out quite a few times, but he honestly hadn't believed the guitarist liked him. He had thought that Suguru put Hiro up to it. "You're joking, right?"

Another sigh passed through her lips and she shook her head at the singer. Sometimes, she found it hard to believe that Harry and Ryuichi were cousins, and other times she had no trouble believing the truth. Both were musical gods and completely clueless at times. But while Ryuichi was a loud, bubbly person, Harry was soft-spoken and hurtful with his words. She wasn't an idiot though, she saw the pain in her band mate's eyes. Someone had hurt the small singer one time too many and left behind serious scars.

"Harry," she started, but K rushing in and slamming the door against the wall cut her into her words.

"Everyone, quit loafing around and your asses to work!" the blonde man screamed, waving his gun in the air. The members of Eklectic Desire heaved a collective sigh and slowly made their way to their stations.

Harry stood at the microphone thinking about what Jodi had said. Hiro really liked him, it seemed. Man, he really was stupid! 'Someone doesn't ask you out on a date every chance they get if they don't like you.' Honestly, he really thought Suguru put his band mate up to it.

"You ready?" Jodi asked from his side, breaking into his thoughts. Nodding numbly at the girl, he waited for the music to begin. They were recording 'Where Will You Go' today. It was their first single as a complete band, too.

The music started and Harry waited for his part. He liked the music his band mates created for this song. It was rock but with an electric edge to it.

_You're too important for anyone_

_You play the role of all you long to be_

_But I, I know who you really are_

_You're the one who cries when you're alone_

_But where will you go_

_With no one left to save you from yourself_

_You can't escape_

_You can't escape_

_You think that I can't see right through your eyes_

_Scared to death to face reality_

_No one seems to hear your hidden cries_

_You're left to face yourself alone_

_But where will you go (where will you go)_

_With no one left to save you from yourself_

_You can't escape_

_The truth_

_I realize you're afraid (I realize)_

_But you can't abandon everyone_

_You can't escape_

_You don't want to escape_

_I'm so sick of speaking words that no one understands_

_Is it clear enough that you can't live your whole life all alone?_

_I can hear you when you whisper_

_But you can't even hear me screaming_

_Where will you go (where will you go)_

_With no one left to save you from yourself_

_You can't escape_

_The truth_

_I realize you're afraid (I realize)_

_But you can't reject the whole world_

_You can't escape_

_You won't escape_

_You can't escape_

_You don't want to escape_

... ... ...

After the recording session, Jodi, Joni and Jeanne had invited him out to dinner with them, but he'd declined. He had too much on his mind after speaking with Jodi earlier. There was too much he had to work through and set straight in his head.

Slowly making his way toward Bad Luck's studio, he wondered if he could even look his friend's band mate in the eye after what he'd done. He had slapped the man, for crying out loud! Hiro hadn't deserved that. Sure, the redhead had been rude with his words, but no one deserved to be hit. Something he wished his uncle believed.

Harry shook his head at this thoughts. 'Don't think about that.'

The singer came to a stop just outside the doors of studio two and too several calming breathes before pushing the doors open. Poking his head inside the room, he saw that the band had just finished their recording and were getting ready to leave for the day. 'Good. Less time to dwell on Hiro.'

"Hey, Harry!" his friend called out when he noticed the singer's unmistakable messing curls poking through the door.

Harry managed a small, unconvincing smile for his friend. Suguru instantly frowned at him, knowing something was wrong and silently demanding what it was. Harry shook his head at the keyboardist as he fully entered the room. He couldn't tell Suguru about it here. Not with Hiro so close. He felt bad enough as it was. He didn't need the object of his thoughts hearing.

"What is wrong?" Suguru demanded as soon as the singer reached his keyboard. "You were fine this morning. Did you have a bad recording?" he guessed. Harry shook his head, and Suguru frowned harder. "Then what is it?"

"Nothing," the small singer hissed quietly. "I just have a lot on my mind."

"And it hasn't exploded yet?" The keyboardist joked, his smile slipping when his friend didn't laugh as he always did. Sighing, he pinched his nose and knew it was going to be a long night. "Alright, Harry, you're lying."

"I am not!" Harry snapped heatedly and turned to walk away, but a hand grabbing his elbow stopped him. Suguru, who'd forgotten he couldn't touch his friend without him knowing, seemed shocked when his hand was slapped roughly away. "Don't touch me!"

"Shit, sorry," the keyboardist apologized when he realized what he'd done, but they'd already gained his band mates attention.

Hiro and Shuichi had been packing up for the day when they heard Harry's frightened scream and instantly looked up from their work, surprised that it was Suguru that had set the singer off. And Harry didn't seem like himself either. The singer, while normally cutting and vicious, looked scared beyond belief that anyone had touched him.

'Odd,' Hiro thought.

"I'm sorry, Suguru," Harry mumbled and ran from the room.

Suguru went to follow, but Hiro stopped him. "Don't, Fujisaki. I'll go see what's wrong with him." Suguru sent him a questioning look. "I won't upset him like I did the last time, I promise." Suguru looked as if he didn't want to agree, but knew he wouldn't get his friend to tell him anything, so he nodded with a stern look that promised pain if he guitarist hurt his friend again.

Hiro found it difficult not to smile at his younger band mate acting so protective of someone. 'No wonder some people had thought they were dating.' Many people at NG had mistakenly assumed that Harry and Fujisaki were an item after seeing them together. Hiro knew otherwise, though. The keyboardist and the singer were just the best of friends, just like him and Shuichi. Some people just didn't understand the concept of best friends.

... ... ...

It had taken Hiro nearly an hour to find the singer, but he had eventually found him on the roof crying. He decided he hated that sight. Harry crying was not something he wished to see again.

Edging slowly toward the singer, he called out his name, but the singer ignored him. Hiro sighed. 'He's worse than Shuichi at times.'

"Harry," he tried again, and the singer's head snapped up sharply at the noise.

"What do you want?" Harry demanded, his voice rough from tears. "Did Suguru send you again?" he asked venomously and Hiro winced at his failed attempt of comforting Harry the previous time.

Hiro shook his head, "No, Fujisaki didn't send me. I came on my own."

Harry's emerald eyes widened at his words. "Why?"

"Cause you needed someone and I knew you wouldn't want to see Fujisaki right now," Hiro explained softly, taking several steps closer to the singer. Best not to spook an already frightened person. "And I needed to apologize anyway."

Harry looked away from the redhead, and mumbled, "You don't need to apologize for speaking the truth. I am an idiot."

If the redhead was shocked by the singer's words, he didn't show it. Instead, he pressed on. "You're not an idiot, Harry. I was just upset that you wouldn't go out with me, so I bashed your past relationship." Hiro finished making his way toward the singer and eased himself onto the ground beside the dark-haired boy. "It took Shuichi to make me see that you probably still loved your ex."

Harry's eyes found their way back toward Hiro. Staring intently into Hiro's blue orbs, he could see nothing but the truth. Harry lowered his eyes to stare at the ground as he began speaking. "Yes, I still love my ex, but I'm not in love with him. He's dead."

Hiro's eyes widened at the news and his mouth dropped open. He hadn't expected that. 'No wonder he's so resistant to get close to anyone.' Now he really felt like an ass for his words. Harry must've sensed his thoughts, though.

"Don't blame yourself for saying what you said. Only Ryuichi knows about my ex," the singer said quietly and looked up at the taller man, his eyes filling with fresh tears.

Hiro's heart wrenched at the sight of Harry's tears and he desperately wanted to hold him. He knew he couldn't, though. He knew Harry didn't like people touching him. Instead, he asked, "Is that why you won't go out with me? Because you're afraid you'll get close to me and I'll die?"

Harry opened and close his mouth several times in an attempt to answer, but failed. Honestly, he didn't know how to answer that question. Yes, that was partly the reason, but he also hadn't believed Hiro liked him until today.

"Do you really like me?" he asked instead. Better to be straight forward about things.

Hiro felt like rolling his eyes at the question, but answered, "Yes! Why else would I have asked you out?"

Harry felt the color rising in his cheeks. Yep, he was an idiot. "I thought Suguru had put you up to it."

"Why would he do that?" Hiro couldn't see Fujisaki ever asking him to take his friend out on a date. Harry whispered something that Hiro couldn't hear. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to speak up."

Harry's blush darkened. "I said; cause I like you." the singer looked away again, embarrassed.

Hiro, however, couldn't stop the goofy smile that blossomed across his face. 'Oh yeah! He likes you, you stud!' But what he said was, "So, does this mean you'll go out with me?" Looking up at the man threw his dark lashes, Harry smiled gently and nodded. "YES!" Hiro punched the air, causing the singer to giggle and the guitarist to blush when he realized what he'd done. "Um... How's Friday night?" he asked to hide his embarrassment.

Harry scrunched his face in thought, trying to remember what he had planned for this week. Not remembering anything important for that day, he said, "Friday sounds lovely, Hiro."

**A/N:** Squeals!! Sorry, but I had to get that out. I feel better now. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Okay, so Harry and Hiro are finally going on a date. Harry may be a bitch in this story, but that doesn't mean he isn't clueless about some things, especially people's feelings. I did add more of his band in this chapter. I usually only have one member speaking to him at a time, though. And Jodi is the most mature of the three, so she can handle Harry better than her sisters can. Plus. I just like Jodi better. No reason why, I just do. The song is Where Will You Go by Evanescence. Well, until next we meet; cheers!


	9. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or Gravitation.

**Warnings: **This story contains SLASH (male/male relationships). If this offends or bothers anyone, do not read this story.

**Summary: **This is the story of how Harry and Hiro fell in love before the beginning of "Withering Rose"

**Crystal Flowers**

**Chapter Eight**

Friday arrived much sooner than Harry would have liked. To be honest, he had not remembered it was Friday until Suguru reminded him about his date with Hiro earlier today during their lunch break. The keyboardist had taken great delight in teasing his blushing friend. Hey, he was a busy guy.

So, here he was, rushing around the house in a towel and trying to find some decent clothes. Suguru and Ryuichi had taken him shopping shortly after he moved here, but the majority of the clothes were skin-tight and leather. Not that he had a problem with either, but he did not want Hiro thinking he was a cheap, easy slut. Although, he doubted the man would think that.

"You're still not ready, Harry?" Ryuichi asked, appearing in Harry's bedroom doorway and leaned against the door frame. "Hiro will be here anytime," he needlessly reminded him.

Harry, facing away from his cousin, rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know that, Ryu." Harry pulled a pair of pants from his closet and held them up for Ryuichi to see. The older singer pulled a funny look and shook his head, causing Harry to toss them into his "hell no" pile.

Ryuichi laughed at his cousin's antics. "Harry, I seriously doubt he's going to care what you're wearing."

Harry shot his cousin a nasty glare. "Well, if someone had reminded me about my date tonight, like they were supposed to do days ago, then I wouldn't be in this mess now." the singer gritted through clenched teeth. At the moment, he was a bit irritated at Ryuichi. The idiot promised he would not let Harry forget, but he had.

The older singer blushed, ashamed that he had forgotten his promise. Looking upward toward the ceiling to avoid his cousin's angry look, he mumbled, "Sorry, Harry. I kind of got a bit busy at the studio this week."

Instantly, Harry's anger melted away at his cousin's words. He knew how stressful recording was, so he could not get too upset. Still, Ryuichi owed him, and he knew the perfect way for him to redeem himself. The idiot could help him find a suitable outfit for tonight.

Letting a smile blossom on his lips, Harry said, "It's okay, Ryu. But I need help finding clothes." He finished, shooting a desperate look toward his cousin.

Ryuichi laughed at the lost and helpless look on his cousin's face. He was just too cute for words at times but equally as innocent. 'Nakano better not hurt him,' he thought viciously.

"Ryuichi!" the singer snapped back to reality and blinked at the scowl his cousin was wearing. "Quit contemplating Hiro's death if he hurts me and help!" Harry shouted and Ryuichi blushed when he realized his cousin had practically read his mind.

"Sorry," the brunette mumbled and pushed himself off the door frame, walking into the room to help.

Harry had, finally, settled on a pair of black, white pinstriped slacks and a long sleeved black shirt with vertical silver stripes. He let his hair fall loosely around his shoulders, a change from his normal ponytail, and let Ryuichi put a bit of mascara and eyeliner around his eyes. Ryuichi had told him numerous times that he looked good, but Hiro's gob smacked expression when Harry opened the door had been the best compliment.

"Wow! You look – wow!"

Hiro could think of no other words to describe the angel before him. Harry was divine. While he was always exceptionally beautiful, tonight he looked absolutely radiant. His hair was styled in a way that let his soft curls fall around his small shoulders and his eyes – his eyes looked directly into his soul. Those gems carved from the finest emeralds outlined in black were sultry and sexy.

'Oh, man. I'm so dead. I won't be able to keep my hands off him,' he thought glumly. He just knew Sakuma Ryuichi was plotting his death if he touched his cousin in any way, shape, or form. Hiro swallowed heavily against the lump forming in his throat, 'I'm a dead man.'

"Are you ready to go, Hiro?" Hiro blinked and looked down, instantly wishing he had not done so. Looking up at him with those beautiful eyes of his and smiling sweetly at him was his dark angel of temptation. Hiro had only seen that carefree, unguarded smile one time before, but he was addicted.

Shaking his head in an effort to stop staring, Hiro commented, "You look beautiful tonight." Harry blushed prettily and looked down. Hiro swooned. "I thought we'd get some coffee first and then grab dinner later. Our table is delayed a bit," he explained at Harry's inquisitive glance.

"That sounds great."

"Alright, shall we go?" the redhead asked, holding his arm out for the small tiny to grab hold of. Hiro smiled at the blush that spread across the singer's cheeks. Harry was too adorable for his own good.

Without wasting anymore time, Hiro escorted his date out of the house and toward his car. Yes, he owned a car! It was no fun driving to work on a motorcycle in the pouring rain or freezing snow.

... ... ...

"Do you purposely write depressing music or does it just happen that way?" Hiro unexpectedly asked him twenty minutes later during their second cup of coffee.

Harry, in the middle of taking a drink, swallowed his coffee and set his cup down on the table. "I like the way the music sounds." Hiro scowled at his answer, knowing the singer was not telling him the whole truth. "What?" Harry asked when he noticed his date's sour look.

"I asked you a simple question. You don't need to feed me a bullshit lie if you don't feel like answering," he snapped.

Harry sighed softly and focused his eyes on the table. Not even half an hour into their date and they were already fighting. 'Some great chemistry there,' his mind taunted him. Harry gave it the mental finger.

"I just... it's hard to explain why I write my music the way I do," he began softly, his eyes looking upward to meet Hiro's gorgeous blue ones. "I haven't had the idea life, and a lot of my music reflects that."

"Oh."

Hiro felt like an ass. Now, he understood what Ryuichi said to him earlier this week. The singer had cornered him one day after work and warned him not to bring up Harry's past.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to pry," he apologized.

Harry waved off his apology. "Don't worry about it. You couldn't have known. But," here he paused and pinned the guitarist with an evil eye that made Hiro worry. "There's this dance club I've wanted to try ever since I moved here, but neither Ryuichi nor Suguru will go with me. Will you take me there?" Harry flashed his best puppy dog eyes, and Hiro knew he was a goner.

"So you don't want dinner and a movie?" the redhead asked stupidly and Harry rolled his eyes.

"No. I want to get liquored up and dance the night away."

Hiro fidgeted in his seat, knowing he could not deny Harry his wish but dreading what his cousin would do to him when he found out. However, glancing across the table at the hopeful expression his date wore, his resolve broke. Harry only wanted someone to take him dancing. What harm could come from that?

"Okay. It sounds like fun."

Even if he had not wanted to go, seeing the bright smile on Harry's face after he agreed was more than worth suffering through a few hours of dancing. Harry, like Shuichi, seemed to suffer from a lack of people willing to go to a club with him. It was not as if Hiro hated them, but Shuichi had dragged him to them so many times after they turned eighteen that he became sick of dance clubs. However, something hit him.

"But you're not old enough to drink." he frowned as the singer's grin widened. He did not like that devious look.

"That's why you're buying them for me." Yep, Hiro definitely did not like Harry's devious looks.

"Fine," he said resigned and crossed his arms over his chest, but in the back of his mind he could not help but hope Ryuichi would not hear about this little escapade.

... ... ...

Ryuichi paced the length of the living room for the hundredth time that evening. Harry and Hiro were, so far, an hour late. Not that Harry had a curfew, but he had expected him home hours ago. It was already after three in the morning and there was no sign of his cousin.

'Maybe he got lucky,' the perverted side of him mused, but he quickly squashed that thought down. Harry was not the type to sleep with someone on a first date. No, his cousin was too innocent for that.

'You would,' the pervert inputted again.

Ryuichi scowled fiercely at his brain, willing it to shut the hell up and stay out of his conversations with himself.

'Now, Ryuichi, talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity,' his mind, yet again, teased.

"Oh, would you shut up!" he yelled aloud and completely missed the sound of the door opening and closing. It was not until he heard his cousin giggling in the hallway that he knew Harry was home. Quickly putting an end to the argument within his head, the singer rushed out into the hallway, prepared to give his cousin a piece of his mind, but stopped short when his cousin glomped him unexpectedly.

"Ryuichi!" the blur of black screamed as he slammed the older man to the floor and continued babbling. "I had so much fucking fun! You should have been there!"

Ryuichi's blue eyes widened as he stared in shock at the eighteen-year-old currently sitting on his chest. "Harry, what's gotten into you?" he asked the hyper singer, who completely ignored him as if he had not said a word.

"Hiro is such a good dancer! Oh my God! I didn't think he could move that way!" Ryuichi's ears rang as Harry's voice raised in pitch with every word he spoke. But it was due to his nonstop rambling that Ryuichi finally smelled the alcohol on him.

"Are you drunk?" he blurted when Harry paused for a breath. Harry simply looked down at him and grinned, causing Ryuichi to groan loudly and thump his head against the hard floor beneath his head. "You are drunk!" he yelped accusingly. Harry's grin widened.

"I am not drunk. I'm merely a tad bit wasted," he said, giggling at the disbelieving look his cousin threw his way. Even though he was not slurring his words, Ryuichi knew Harry was completely plastered.

Pushing at his cousin's legs, Ryuichi said, "Come on, Harry. Get up. We need to get you to bed."

"But I don't wanna!" the singer whined childishly, refusing to budge. "If I knew you were gonna treat my like a kid, I would've stayed at Hiro's place."

Ryuichi's eyes went comically wide at that. "I'm not treating you like a kid, Harry. But coming home drunk and threatening to stay at someone's house after one date isn't exactly responsible, now is it?" he lectured, but his words fell on deaf ears. Harry was in one of his stubborn moods.

"You're one to talk about responsibility," Harry snipped. "You can barely remember to dress yourself in the mornings." Sure, the jab was cruel, but Harry did not care at the moment. "I'm surprised you even remember your name half the time."

Ryuichi had taken all he could take. "Oh, yeah? Well, at least I don't walk around with an attitude and act like a bitch to everyone alive!" he snapped. "I really wanna know what Nakano-san sees in you."

Harry recoiled as if he had been slapped. "So, you're saying he went out with me because of pity?" Harry asked in a cold, bitter voice. "Well, fuck you! I wish I had never met you!" he screamed and bolted off his cousin's chest. Ryuichi reached out to grab the singer, but Harry slapped his hand away. "You, stay the fuck away from me," he hissed dangerously, before heading toward the front door.

"Were are you going, Harry?" Ryuichi yelled after his cousin, who simply gave him a rude gesture over his shoulder. The singer watched as Harry walked out the door and slammed it shut behind him, still trying to understand how they had gone from joking to fighting. Still, he knew he had really messed up this time.

"Fuck!"

**A/N:** Okay, I know this chapter is short, but it's also the setup for things to come in later chapters. I hope you weren't too disappointed with Harry and Hiro's date, but I just wasn't in a lovey-dovey mood when I wrote this chapter. Well, you can flame me all you want, but I'll just use your flames to toast marshmallows. (Yum... marshmallows... drools) Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Until we meet again; cheers!


	10. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or Gravitation.

**Warning:** This story contains SLASH (male/male relationships). If this offends anyone, do not read this story.

**Summary:** This is the story of how Harry and Hiro fell in love before the beginning of "Withering Rose".

**Crystal Flowers**

**Chapter Nine**

The singer flinched as a bright flash of lightening split the sky in two and cursed when he felt several small drops of water wet his hair.

'Great,' he thought with a sarcastic snort. Why, oh, why had he run out the way he did?

'Because you overreacted," his subconscious suggested. Harry knew that was the truth, even if he didn't wish to admit it. 'Stubborn,' his mind taunted him.

Harry shook his head at his thoughts and focused on the task at hand; finding Hiro's apartment in this mess. Before Hiro dropped him off earlier this evening, the redhead had given Harry his address and an open invitation to stop by any time he wished.

'I wonder if Hiro counted on me coming over at three in the morning?' the singer wondered. Somehow, he doubted that. The guitarist would probably maim him in some fashion. 'Filleted rock singer coming right up.' Harry snorted and shook his head. He was an idiot. Hiro would be happy to see him... he hoped.

Harry came to a stop in front of a large, brick building and took a deep, calming breath. He hoped and prayed Hiro wouldn't be too angry with him. Sighing, he started up the steps to Hiro's apartment.

Hiro had just crawled into bed and pulled the covers over him when a knock sounded at the door. A glance at the bedside clock told him it was just after three and he grumbled as he threw back his comforter and stepped out of bed. Grabbing his discarded boxers off the floor, he redhead pulled them on and headed toward the door.

The apartment wasn't very big. His bedroom, the bathroom, a small kitchen, and living room were the only rooms, so it did not take him much time to reach the front door. The guitarist sneaked a peak out of the peep hole and blinked in confusion at the person on the other side of the door.

'Why is Harry here at three in the morning?' he wondered.

Brushing his thoughts aside, Hiro pulled the door open wide. "Harry, what's wrong?"

Turning his eyes upward, Harry felt his lips begin trembling as he went to speak and pursed them tightly together. Hiro instantly noticed something was terribly wrong and stepped aside in silent invitation for the singer to enter. The singer brushed passed him and Hiro pushed the door closed.

Turning to face to singer, it was then he noticed the dried tear tracks on the singer's cheeks. "Harry...?"

Harry sighed, knowing he could not keep silent too much longer. "Ryuichi and I had an argument and I ran out."

"Oh..."

Honestly, Hiro did not know what to say. Ryuichi and Harry bickered all of the time but always made up quickly. Ryuichi annoyed the singer until he snapped and yelled at the goof. However, minutes later they were best buddies again. He honestly did not know what to do.

Harry must have mistook the silence and looked away, mumbling, "Sorry for bothering you. I'll just go." and started for the door. Hiro, however, would have none of it and stepped into his path.

"It's late and you look exhausted. You can have my bed and I'll take the couch," he offered. Things always looked brighter after sleep. Besides, he knew he would not get anything from Harry now.

Harry fidgeted for several moments before agreeing. "Alright, Hiro. I didn't really want to go back out into that storm."

"I'll get you some fresh sheets."

... ... ...

The next morning, Hiro awake to a wonderful smell. Nose twitching in delight and his mouth watering, Hiro threw back the blue blanket he covered himself with the evening before and pushed himself off the sofa. 'Yummy!' his stomach screamed in anticipation. Upon reaching the kitchen, which took all of two steps, he met a wonderful sight. Harry bustling around his kitchen dressed in a pair of his pajamas. It was... adorable. The pajamas were at least three sizes too big and hung low on his small waist and the shirt kept slipping off his shoulder.

"There's coffee already made." Harry voiced suddenly, causing the guitarist to blink. How had Harry known he was there? The singer had his back to him the entire time.

Deciding not the dwell on it, Hiro muttered a quick "thanks" and walked to the cupboard to grab a cup. Hiro filled his cup and inhale a large gulp before pulling a face at the bitterness. Harry rolled his eyes at the scene. If the idiot did not care for black coffee, then why did he drink it?

"The sugar is in the cabinet above the sink," he added helpfully.

Hiro nodded his thanks, completely ignoring why Harry knew his apartment better than he did. 'Only here one night and he already knows where everything is.' If you asked him, it was a bit strange. 'Oh well,' he mentally shrugged as he pulled the sugar from the cupboard. Hiro snatched a spoon from the dish strainer, marveling at the clean dishes that Harry had probably cleaned, and scooped two spoonfuls of sugar into his coffee. Bringing the cup back to his lips, he sipped the now sweetened ambrosia and sighed happily.

"So..." he began, turning his attention onto the singer, "Care to tell me what you're cooking?"

Harry glanced up from the skillet and shot him an irritated look. "What does it look like?"

"Well, it looks like eggs and sausage." Hiro shrugged. "But I could be wrong."

"No, Hiro, you're not wrong."

"I didn't figure I was wrong." the redhead returned with a cocky smirk.

Harry, once again, rolled his eyes at the redhead. Hiro grated on his nerves at times. "If you didn't think you was wrong, then why did you ask?" Harry asked as he put out the flame and moved the skillet to the back burner. Turning to face Hiro, Harry quirked an eyebrow at him. "Well?"

Hiro shrugged his shoulders helplessly at the singer. "I don't know, Harry. I just wanted something to talk about other than last night."

Emerald eyes automatically hardened at his words. "There's nothing to talk about," Harry said frostily. "Ryuichi and I had a disagreement, and that's it."

"If it was only a disagreement, why did you show up here at three AM?" Hiro shot back. He really cared for the singer, but he hated his attitude at times.

Harry, however, was in no mood to discuss the fight. Instead, he set about grabbing some plates and silverware to set the table with and ignored the guitarist. Hiro growled silently. He was trying to help here! Did Harry not see that? 'No, I guess he doesn't,' he thought as he watched Harry set the table.

Sighing, he decided he would take a quick shower and hopefully things would be better when he returned.

... ... ...

"Ryuichi, please sit down. I'm sure Harry is fine," Tohma said to his friend for the tenth time in an hour.

Ryuichi paused in his pacing and turned to stare at his friend with wide, shocked eyes. "How can you say that? After the things I said to him last night, I doubt he'll ever forgive me!" the singer wailed.

The blonde sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers. If he did not love Ryuichi like a brother, he would have told the idiot to shove off when Ryuichi called him at three in the morning. The singer called him and babbled hysterically into the phone about his missing cousin and about the argument. Sadly, Ryuichi was probably correct in his assessment. It would take a lot for Harry to forgive. That is, if he ever did. Ryuichi had thrown some pretty horrible accusations at him. Even so, Tohma wanted to believe Harry would simply forgive and forget. He did not need nor want two depressed and angry singers working for him... one was bad enough.

Glancing back at his friend, he wished he had something to say to melt away the look of despair and guilt on his friend's face.

"Ryuichi, Harry will eventually forgive you. I know he will."

He did not know whom he was trying to convince; him or Ryuichi. He knew how Harry's family treated him, so Ryuichi shouting at him the way he had last night probably cut him deeply.

"I guess you're right, Tohma." Ryuichi sounded broken as he spoke. "But we still have to find him."

"Ah..." Tohma hummed. "I don't think that'll be a problem, my friend."

He already had a good idea of where Harry might be hiding. He knew Suguru was out of town for the weekend, so that left only one place to hide from his cousin. 'Good thing I know where he lives,' he thought happily. Oh, he had no intentions of dragging the singer home, but he could talk to him at least.

"Ryuichi, I have some things to deal with at the office," Tohma told his friend. Ryuichi looked at him oddly but nodded. It was unusual for Tohma to set foot in NG during the weekend.

Without wasting another minute, Tohma started for the door. He had to settle things between Ryuichi and Harry.

**A/N: **Hey! I'm sorry this chapter is so short and that it's taken me so long to update. My muse was on a long-term vacation and wasn't sending me her reports like she said she would. -slaps muse- Oh, well, I've updated so be happy, merry, and dance the night away! I do hope you enjoyed and hope you review. Well, until next we meet; cheers!


	11. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or Gravitation.

**Warning:** This story contains SLASH (male/male relationships). If this offends anyone, do not read this story.

**Summary:** This is the story of how Harry and Hiro fell in love before the beginning of "Withering Rose".

**Crystal Flowers**

**Chapter Ten**

Hiro could not keep his eyes off the smaller man as he slept beside him on the sofa, his head resting lightly in Hiro's lap. After breakfast, Harry claimed he was tired so Hiro suggested he take a nap. It was the best idea Hiro had in long time.

Glancing down at the younger male, Hiro wondered what Harry saw in his dreams. His face, though beautiful and flawless, was anything but peaceful. It seemed as if an inner war was taking place within him. Harry's features were drawn and he flinched every few minutes. Whatever he was seeing was not good. If he asked, though, Harry would brush off his concerns. That annoyed Hiro to no end.

"What do you see that causes you so much pain?" the redhead murmured softly, his fingers carding through the singer's hair. "Why can't you share your burdens? Has your life been so horrible that you trust no one?"

Hiro released a sigh and stole a glance at the clock hanging above the television. He had let Harry sleep for three hours without disturbing his angel, but he knew Harry needed to wake soon. Hiro was not an idiot. He knew either Seguchi-san or K-san would be there soon.

Already regretting his actions, Hiro gently shook the singer and whispered softly in his ear, "Harry, you need to get up."

"Just five more minutes, Ryu," the singer mumbled sleepily, rolling over, and burying his face in Hiro's bare stomach.

The redhead froze when he felt Harry's hot breath against his stomach. Having the singer this close brought too many perverted thoughts to the forefront of his mind. Knowing he had to get the singer to move, he gently shook him again. "Really, Harry, you need to get up." his voice sounded slightly strangled as he spoke.

Green eyes slitted open at Hiro's voice. Shooting an icy cold, green-eyed glare at the man, Harry yawned and pushed himself off Hiro's lap. "Did you have to wake me?" he almost whined.

"No, I didn't have to wake you, but I needed to," Hiro responded, his cheeks tinting pink as he spoke.

Harry shot Hiro a confused look. The guitarist was acting strangely. "Why did you need to wake me?" he asked innocently.

"No reason," Hiro lied, causing Harry to frown at him. "Honestly, it's not important," Hiro said when he noticed Harry's look.

Harry did not believe him, but he let it slide. If Hiro did not want to tell him, then that was his problem. Pushing himself off the sofa, Harry stretched his lithe body and completely missed Hiro's hungry glance when his shirt road up revealing a patch of bare skin. Stealing a quick peek at the clock, Harry noticed it was passed noon.

Directing his attention toward Hiro, he asked, "Are you hungry? I could make you something."

Hiro looked up and frowned at the singer. "You mean you'll make US something, right?" His blue eyes narrowed at the singer. "Harry?" he asked when the singer had not responded.

"I'm not hungry," he argued, though his stomach rumbled softly. "I'm not going to eat if I'm not hungry." Harry glared at the man challenging, daring him to argue with him. Harry had not expected Hiro to stand up, push him into the kitchen, or shove him down in a chair. Harry opened his mouth to scream at the man, but he stopped when he noticed Hiro's normally soft, baby-blue orbs had become hardened chips of ice.

"Do I look stupid to you? I heard your fucking stomach growling. You're eating and that's final."

Harry stared into Hiro's icy eyes in shock. No one spoke to him in such a manner. Well, nobody spoke to him in that manner out of concern. 'He really cares,' he could not help thinking. It was unbelievable. Why would anyone care for him that much?

Standing up from the chair, Harry pushed passed Hiro and headed for the door. "I need to go," he mumbled as he slipped on his shoes.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Hiro asked as he stared in confusion at singer. "I'm sorry if I pissed you off."

Harry shook his head at the man. "I-I just need to g-go."

"Okay." Hiro did not know what was wrong, but he would not stop him from leaving. "Will you be back?"

Harry looked up at the redhead and gave a jerky nod before opening the door and walking out of the apartment.

... ... ...

Walking through the park, Harry wished he had remembered to bring his coat. The winter had, so far, not been too severe, but last night's rain had frozen and reminded him that it was winter. With a downcast demeanor, Harry trudged through the park until he found an empty bench beside a large, frost coated tree.

Several hours had passed since Harry ran out on Hiro and he was no closer to figuring out why he did what he did. Hiro cared deeply for him. That should make him happy, right? All he ever wanted was for someone, anyone to care about him. Ryuichi and Suguru cared for him, but that was not the same. He wanted someone to care for him romantically, and now he had it. What did he do, though? He freaked out and left the man befuddled. He was almost certain Hiro thought he made him angry. He regretted not explaining himself better, but he had to get out of there.

"So this is where you've been hiding," a softer, feminine voice commented, breaking Harry from his thoughts. Harry whipped his head around in fright and spotted the only other friend he had here in Japan. "Honestly, Harry," the woman sighed, her blue eyes sparkling in relief and worry. "If you're going to run away from your boyfriend's house, at least tell somebody where you're going."

"Huh?" the singer uttered with a confused mind. "What are you talking about, Mika?"

Mika's mouth stretched into a grin. "Don't play dumb. You know Hiro is your boyfriend." The brown haired woman laughed when her friend began blushing madly, before her eyes hardened. "You have a lot of people worried about you," she said and dropped into the empty space beside her friend.

"I'm sorry," Harry muttered, looking down.

Mika sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers. "Harry," she said gaining the singer's attention. "We're worried because we care." Green eyes looked upward with a hint of confusion painted in them. Mika chuckled. "Did you think that Ryuichi and Suguru were the only ones that cared?" she asked, but already knew the answer. "Harry, a lot of people care about you, but there's one that cares for you more than anybody else."

Harry's eyes fell to stare at the ground. He knew to whom she was referring. Hiro taking the chance of pissing him off to make him eat that proved that. Did he feel the same though? Could he return those feelings?

Mika, as if sensing his thoughts, asked, "How do you feel about him, Harry?"

Harry looked back up at her and shrugged. "I don't know. I know I love being around him and he makes me smile." he blushed as he spoke. "And... And if I lost him..." he trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid.

"Harry," Mika sighed at her clueless friend. "I'm not sure if you love him or not, but I know you could. He already means a lot to you."

"Really?"

Mika rolled her eyes heavenward at her friend. "Yes, Harry. Anyone with eyes and half a brain knows you two already belong to each other. Hell, people are taking bets on when you two will marry." she smirked when Harry's face burned flaming red.

"You don't have to worry about that. I'm never getting married, no matter how much I love the man." he assured her.

"We'll see about that. We'll see," Mika said cryptically, before she smiled softly. "Now, go back and apologize for leaving him the way you did," she ordered.

Harry nodded and moved to stand up, but he remembered something she said earlier. "Mika? How did you know I ran away from Hiro's apartment?" he asked.

Mika looked at her friend and shrugged her shoulders. "Everyone cracks when I torture them."

**A/N:** There you go, guys! Chapter 10 is now finished. I hope you all enjoyed. Some of you may be happy to know that I am planning to write a part four and five to the Harry/Hiro saga. However, I have a few other projects I need to complete before I begin those stories. Well, until next we meet; cheers!


	12. Epilogue

Sometimes in a person's life, tragedy strikes and you don't know how you'll ever make it through. Despite feeling lost and helpless, you can count on the important people in your life to hold you up and force you to go on. I lost somebody important to me recently, and I know I would've fallen to pieces without three very important people. You guys know who you are, so there's no need to name names. I just wanted to tell them that I love them from the bottom of my heart and thank them for being there.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or Gravitation.

**Warning:** This story contains SLASH (male/male relationships). If this offends anyone, do not read this story.

**Summary:** This is the story of how Harry and Hiro fell in love before the beginning of "Withering Rose".

**Crystal Flowers**

**Epilogue**

Harry stared at the door before him, too afraid to open it and face Hiro. Even though Mika assured him that Hiro cared, he still felt a bit apprehensive.

'Stop being stupid and just open the door,' his mind chided him.

'But what if he's angry with me?' he argued.

'Hiro cares too much for you to become angry over something like that.'

Harry sighed heavily and hung his head in defeat. His conscious was right, as always. Hiro would not flip out over something like this. No, the redhead cared too much to risk pushing him away by scaring him.

Standing up straight and with his mind made up, Harry reached out his hand and rapped on the door. He probably could have entered without permission, but he needed these precious few seconds to compose himself. Harry waited several minutes, but did not hear any movement from inside the apartment. Harry knocked again and several seconds later he heard a loud "Give me a minute" shouted from inside. Breathing deeply, Harry tried in vain to still his raging emotions, and waited patiently.

"I swear, Shu! If you and Yuki-san had another fight I'm gonna..." Hiro's words cut off abruptly when he ripped the door open and noticed the singer. "Harry?" he asked with blatant curiosity.

Green eyes stared upward into blue ones. "I'm sorry," Harry murmured softly. "I'm sorry I ran out earlier. I'm sorry I've given you such a hard time. But..." Harry did not finish his words. Instead, he stepped towards the redhead, pushed himself up on his tip-toes, and kissed the guitarist squarely on the lips. Breaking the kiss before Hiro could respond, Harry pulled back and whispered softly, "Most of all, I'm sorry I didn't realize how you felt."

Hiro stood in shock at what had happened. Harry kissed him! His angel kissed him of his own free will! The redhead slowly lifted his hand and pressed his fingers to his tingling lips. Did that kiss mean Harry wanted him, too? Glancing at the singer, Hiro noticed his tensed expression and realized Harry was waiting for him to say something. What could he say though? Words could not express what he was feeling now.

Knowing Harry probably would slap him or worse for what he was about to do, Hiro said "fuck it" and swept the singer into his arms, before he mashed their lips together. The singer's body tensed at first, but quickly relaxed into the tender kiss and wrapped his arms around Hiro's waist. Harry and Hiro broke apart when the need for air became too much, but stayed in each other's arms, content in the silence surrounding them.

"I didn't know if you'd want me after everything I've done to you," Harry said softly and laid his head against Hiro's broader chest.

Hiro's arms tightened around the singer's waist. "You'd have to be an idiot to think I wouldn't want you."

"I... I guess I am that," he murmured quietly.

"Harry," Hiro gently titled the singer's head up to look him in the eyes. "I know you haven't had the best experiences with love," he paused, letting his words sink before continuing, "but I want to give us a chance. We may not work out and end up being bitter enemies, but I at least want us to try."

Harry stared into the guitarist's shining blue orbs and found only sincerity. Pushing himself up on his tip-toes, Harry pressed a chaste kiss to the redhead's lips. "I want to try as well," Harry whispered softly. "I... I'm tired of pushing everyone away in fear of them getting to close and hurting me." His emerald eyes filled with tears, but he simply wiped them away and plowed ahead. "I want to trust you, to love you, to see if we can build a relationship. I...I know there's a chance it won't work, but we need... no, we have to try. Hiro," he lifted his hand to the guitarist's face and ran his fingers down the redhead's cheek. "I don't know if I love you yet or not." the singer shrugged lightly. "But I've honestly never felt what it's like to be in love. I... I thought I loved Cedric, but I'm not so sure anymore. Even watching him die before my eyes didn't hurt as much as the thought of you not wanting me..." Harry's words came to an abrupt halt when a finger pressed against his lips.

"You don't have to explain yourself," Hiro said gently, a small smile adorning his face. "I don't want you to dissect your feeling for him to me. Even if you weren't in love with him, he meant a great deal to you." Hiro dipped his head down and captured the small singer's lips. "I love you, Harry. It doesn't matter if you can't say those words yet, because I won't rest until you can say them without a second thought."

As Harry stared into Hiro's eyes, he truly felt as if someone cared unconditionally for him. In those beautiful orbs of ocean blue, he saw all the love the man held for him. Hiro had fought to make Harry see his feelings and never once gave up. Through all of his cutting remarks and nasty temper, Hiro never gave up hope.

Though he could not say the words yet, Harry knew Hiro had stolen his heart. Resting his head against the guitarist's chest, he realized he was happy. He was truly happy.

**A/N:** Alright, Crystal Flowers is complete. I am sorry the story wasn't as long as the previous two, but I had a slight problem with the final chapters. The disk I had my work saved on became corrupted somehow. Therefore, I lost all the previous work I'd done for Crystal Flowers. I decided to just write an epilogue and continue with my plans for Symphony of My Heart and Voiceless Screams, parts IV and V in the Hiro/Harry saga. Again, I apologize for cutting this story short. I hope I can redeem myself in the two sequels to follow. Well, until next we meet; cheers!


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